Exclusive: US Envoy Tom Perriello says Geneva talks on Sudan ‘positive’ despite ‘tragic’ SAF boycott

After three days of special consultations to end Sudan’s conflict and deliver humanitarian aid, the US Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, has lauded the energy at the discussions as “very, very positive,” and stresses that the diplomatic coalition “is determined to produce results for the Sudanese”… This in spite of the “tragic” refusal of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to attend the talks.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Dabanga Editor-in-Chief Kamal Elsadig today, US Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello says that in the midst of positive energy, “we have a diplomatic coalition that’s come together that is determined to produce results for the Sudanese”.

The talks in Geneva, organised by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, include the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and delegations from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. However the talks have been boycotted by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

“The real situation on the ground is tragic, as millions and millions of Sudanese continue to be forced from their homes and forced to face hunger and famine and horrible atrocities. The energy here, though, is very, very positive. We have a diplomatic coalition that’s come together that is determined to produce results for the Sudanese. People and try to work on implementing the agreements the parties have already made at Jeddah and under an international humanitarian law on civilian protection and food and medicine access,” he says.

“We are regularly engaged with both RSF and SAF through phone calls and other means. And in today’s modern world, we can continue with these negotiations and we are going to continue to do everything we can building on things… So I think we are eager.”

Perriello says that the discussions plan “to continue working in this format and the results have been really positive so far. This in spite of the boycott of the talks by the SAF.

“We do not yet have that commitment [from the SAF], which I think is tragic, but we will continue to work. We are in touch with the SAF many times a day, both as a team, but also the individuals that are here, the Egyptians, Saudis, ourselves. So we live in a modern world where we can find ways to consult, as we did beforehand and move forward.”

Perriello says that the delegates “obviously would prefer if President El Burhan chose to send a senior SAF delegation. I think we’d be able to make much more progress for the Sudanese people, particularly on the issue of cessation of hostilities, but again, both parties have already agreed to the Jeddah declarations, and we are working hard to figure out how we can enforce those and get agreements along the way, not just from the SAF and RSF, but also from all of us as international actors who want to contribute to, peace…

“And in the world we live in, we can continue to go forward with negotiations as we’ve done, we call it virtual proximity talks for now. And the same thing with the lines of communication with RSF. So we it was very clear from Secretary Blinken and President Biden that they wanted us to proceed, and no matter how we were able to, to produce the most we could.”

Regarding humanitarian access to Darfur, Perriello says that one of the top priorities was to open the Sudan-Chad border crossing at Adré “where you have over a million people inside who are already at famine conditions. And I think one of the things we’re doing is not just pushing to get that open, it’s got to translate into convoys of trucks. Those trucks have to get across the border.”

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, the Transitional Sovereignty Council, chaired by Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, decided yesterday to open the Adré border crossing for three months. This move aims to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected displaced civilians fleeing violence in Darfur, they say.

Asked by Radio Dabanga Editor-in-Chief Kamal Elsadig to comment on pleas by Radio Dabanga listeners who say: “We want food now, we are dying, we are fed-up with condemnations and appeals, we want action,” Perriello underscores that “you have to make sure the RSF is guaranteeing their safety and safe delivery to get in…. that that gets to the people who are most vulnerable and then that continues. That’s exactly the kind of result we’re trying.”

On the shelling, the bombing, and the violence against civilians, Perriello says: “We are working on ways that we can ensure compliance with that. We’d be able to do more if SAP was here. It is a limit, but it is not a total barrier. We are going to continue to work on agreements from the parties to enforce again the agreement they’ve already made.

“Under the Jeddah process, and we hear exactly what you’re saying. The Sudanese people have said they want action now, and that’s why we went forward with this initiative. We’re not going to let anything hold us back from doing what we can to protect civilians in Sudan. But again, we could do more with greater participation.”

Regarding delivery of aid to Darfur, Perriello stresses that “there’s a reason international humanitarian law exists. It’s supposed to apply whether you’re a military or a militia, whether in wartime or peacetime, and these should be the baseline standards. There should not be a weaponisation of starvation and we are pushing both parties. Both the military and the militia to abide by that. And yes, we can try to get unilateral responses from them in terms of commitments of protection of access and aid.

‘Our goal is a national cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access to all 18 states…’

“We really need that partnership, though, with SAF to be able to do more as well as with RSF, but these should be universal standards that are respected. Our goal is a national cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access to all 18 states. We know we’re not going to get that from this round, but we are going to continue to take the steps we can in that direction and we are welcoming the partnership of anyone who can help to get us in.

‘It’s a horrific situation. It just boggles the mind. The scale of suffering that’s seen and how invisible that has been…’

“But it’s a horrific situation. It just boggles the mind. The scale of suffering that’s seen and how invisible that has been. And in this August, we wanted to make sure when the world was sort of going on vacation, going to sleep, that we were jolting the world awake along with our Egyptian and Saudi and other partners.

“It’s the results that matter. We have not done enough. We’ve given a billion dollars to humanitarian aid. We’re proud of that. But we need to do more. We need to do more on access, and that’s why we’re here.

Perillo says that he warmly welcomes that the Adre border crossing has been opened. “We wanted that opened months ago and as you know, it’s the gateway into some of the areas of most acute famine as well as other forms of civilian suffering. We need to see that translated into trucks coming across and getting to the people who need it. That’s one of the things we’re focused on here with this. The diplomatic coalition and team that’s trying to turn that into results. The situation and Kordofan and Blue Nile and in the south.”

Perriello confirms that a women’s delegation is also taking part in the talks: “We were really happy that the highest ranking ambassador in our system on gender and women’s issues health is holding an event with Sudanese women in Geneva. That is happening concurrently with these talks. The totality of the US strategy on Sudan is much more than just this initiative. We are also very committed to supporting the Sudanese and African Union-led political dialogue. We are committed to supporting the role of women and youth and investing in the capacity of civil society.

“Of things that where many solutions come from the people, much more than they’re going to come from us, but we can help put some international and diplomatic pressure behind that. So that’s a core value in US foreign policy and certainly the Biden Harris administration has put a huge emphasis on our engagement and support of Sudanese women as part of this strategy, they will be the 1st to tell you.”

‘They don’t claim to represent or speak for all women, but they do bring important voices into the into the room’

“They don’t claim to represent or speak for all women, but they do bring important voices into the into the room, and we all know that while all the Sudanese people have suffered, certainly women and girls have borne so much of that suffering and continue to, and it’s important for us to remember as we prioritise issues.

“On the issues of silencing the guns, getting food and medicine to people, and protecting civilians, that is part of a longer term effort to ensure the civilian democratic transition that was the dream of the revolution. We need to have that inclusive civilian dialogue that, as part of that process,” Perriello concludes.

Listen to the complete interview (audio ony) here