Informed sources have announced that senior leaders from the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have met three times this month in Bahrain, marking the first high-level communication between the warring parties in the ongoing conflict that has lasted for nine months. Four sources, including two who attended the talks, stated that, unlike previous discussions regarding the war in Sudan, influential representatives from both forces, as well as officials from Egypt and the UAE, attended the Manama meetings. The sources indicated that the United States and Saudi Arabia also participated in the undisclosed talks, which followed repeated attempts by both forces and East African countries to mediate a ceasefire and reach a political agreement to end the war, with little progress made thus far. One participant noted that both sides tentatively agreed on a declaration of principles that includes maintaining the unity of Sudan and its army. The source added that further discussions are planned to address a ceasefire, but a follow-up meeting was postponed last week.
*No Breakthrough*
Alan Boswell, an analyst from the International Crisis Group, stated that despite the lack of any breakthrough, the meetings demonstrated that allies of the warring forces, who are concerned about the country descending into state failure, were able to exert new pressure on them.
