Saudi FM calls for end to escalation during calls to heads of Sudan’s military, RSF

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister called for an end to all forms of military escalation in Sudan during separate phone calls to the head of the country’s army and the Rapid Support Forces group on Sunday.

During calls to the commander of Sudan’s miltitary, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the current situation in the country and stressed the importance of returning to the framework transition agreement which guarantees security and stability for Sudan and its people.

The minister affirmed the Kingdom’s call for calm and prioritizing national interests in a way that preserves the gains of Sudan and its people.

Sudan’s military and the RSF battled fiercely Saturday in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict.

The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and the RSF. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup.

Clashes continued on Sunday and the death toll stands at 56.