...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
ese Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has raised questions about who was behind it, what its goals were, and to what extent it could impact Sudan's war - especially with US-led peace talks in Geneva around the corner.
If they go ahead, the upcoming negotiations, which will be hosted by both Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
and Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat Frational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...on 14 August, will be the first major effort in months to get the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to sit together.
Since the war erupted in Sudan more than a year and three months ago, bringing the country close to collapse, there have been multiple mediation attempts, the most prominent of which were the Jeddah negotiations which took place early into the war.
However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves...
while positive steps were agreed upon at Jeddah, they were not implemented, and the two warring parties have not returned to direct negotiations a second time, despite many attempts by external parties to bring this about.
The RSF accepted the US invitation to the August talks soon after they were proposed, with the army tentatively and conditionally following suit on 30 July %u2013 shortly before the failed attempt
...
Curses! Foiled again!...
on Burhan's life, after which the army leader said he would not be attending.
The attack took place at a graduation ceremony at the Gebeit army base, about 100 km (62 miles) from the army's de facto capital Port Sudan in Sudan's Red Sea state.
It was carried out by two drones and left five dead, including a colonel, as well as a number of injured according to an army statement, although the corpse count is believed to have risen since then.
Burhan's bodyguards managed to evacuate him unscathed, and he later insisted on completing the graduation ceremony and gave a speech vowing not to lay his weapons down until the country was cleansed of "rebels and mercenaries".
The army chief stressed last Wednesday that "the battle with the enemy is ongoing" and pledged not to surrender or negotiate with them.
He also reiterated that he welcomed peace negotiations provided they involved all segments of the people as well as the armed movements participating in the battle. However he conditioned his participation in talks on mediating actors recognising the Sudanese government's illusory sovereignty over Sudan, and that the RSF implement what was agreed in the Jeddah negotiations by leaving civilians' homes.