from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – THE release of over 60 detainees of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that had been held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is a breakthrough in ending hostilities between the warring parties.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday facilitated the release.
The 64 individuals have been transported from the capital, Khartoum, to the east-central Wad Madani following a request from the parties to the conflict for the ICRC to act as a neutral intermediary.
Pierre Dorbes, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Sudan, said the organisation’s main goal was to guarantee that any release operation serves the best interests of the detainees, such as facilitating their reunion with their families.
“We are prepared to act as a neutral intermediary for the release of more detainees,” Dorbes assured.
The ICRC said it had extended its services to all parties involved in the conflict to play the role of a neutral intermediary in the release of detainees.
According to the organisation, it neither negotiates, influences the decision on who is released or when the release takes place nor disclose the identity of the detainees.
These decisions are independently taken by the warring parties.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) commended ongoing initiatives aimed at ending months of intense hostilities.
SAF and RSF resumed talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under the facilitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United States, African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“UNITAMS also welcomes the current initiatives by a broad range of civilian actors calling for an end to the war, underscoring the pressing need for a solution that would lead to a resumption of the democratic political transition,” the mission stated.
Since the fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF in April, the ICRC has facilitated the release and transfer of 292 persons detained in relation to the conflict in Sudan.
An estimated 5.79 million people have been displaced within and outside Sudan since mid-April 2023.
– CAJ News