Treaty of Jeddah (2023)

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Treaty of Jeddah
معاهدة جدة
Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan: the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces Agreement on a Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements. [1] [2]
Saudi Arabia Sudan Locator (cropped).png
Location of Saudi Arabia and Sudan on a world map
Type Peace treaty
Signed20 May 2023 (violated)
Location Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Sealed21 May 2023
Effective22 May 2023 [3]
Expiry
  • 23 May 2023 (Warring sides restart large clashes across Sudan)
  • 27 May 2023 (Official expiration date on the agreement)
Signatories
  • Flag of the United States.svg United States
  • Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
Languages2: Arabic and English
Full text
Wikisource-logo.svg Treaty of Jeddah (2023) at Wikisource
  • The United States and Saudi Arabia suspended the agreement fully on 1 June 2023 after several violations, failed agreements, and ceasefires.
  • Due to violations, The U.S. imposes sanctions on Sudan's warring sides.
  • Talks resumed on 7 June 2023

The Treaty of Jeddah (initially known as the Jeddah Agreement) or Jeddah Declaration [1] [2] is an international agreement that was made to make peace in Sudan. The Treaty of Jeddah, which was signed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan and representatives of both warring sides on 20 May 2023, [3] entered into force 48 hours later on 22 May 2023. The agreement was intended to facilitate a week-long ceasefire and the distribution of humanitarian aid within the country. The agreement expired suddenly after a surge of clashes on 23 May 2023, a day after the agreement came into effect. With the actual date of expiry being 27 May 2023, the nations agreed on an extension for five days but was shortened due to the agreement's ineffectiveness.

Contents

Background

In 2003, war broke out in western Sudan's Darfur region between the government-sponsored, predominantly Arab Janjaweed militia aided by the Sudanese Armed Forces against the predominantly non-Arab Sudan Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement, after SLM and JEM launched attacks against the Sudanese government and accusing them of genocide. El Geneina, as the capital of West Darfur, saw a copious amount of violence, due to its location as the sultanate of the Masalit people. [4] The city had a population of 250,000 in 2008. [5]

In 2020, the war came to an end after several rebel groups signed a peace treaty with the Sudanese government following the Sudanese Revolution and the ousting of Omar al-Bashir. In the process, the Janjaweed restructured itself into the Rapid Support Forces, although many Darfuris still call it the Janjaweed. [6]

Tensions between the RSF and the Sudanese junta began to escalate in February 2023, as the RSF began to recruit members from across Sudan. A brief military buildup in Khartoum was succeeded by an agreement for de-escalation, with the RSF withdrawing its forces from the Khartoum area. [7] The junta later agreed to hand over authority to a civilian-led government, [8] but it was delayed due to renewed tensions between generals Burhan and Dagalo, who serve as chairman and deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, respectively. [9] [10] Chief among their political disputes is the integration of the RSF into the military: [9] [11] the RSF insisted on a ten-year timetable for its integration into the regular army, while the army demanded integration within two years. [12] Other contested issues included the status given to RSF officers in the future hierarchy, and whether RSF forces should be under the command of the army chief rather than Sudan's commander-in-chief, who is currently al-Burhan. [13] They have also clashed over authority over sectors of Sudan's economy that are controlled by the two respective factions. As a sign of their rift, Dagalo expressed regret over the October 2021 coup. [14]

In early 2023, tensions rose between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by the 2021 coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Hemedti, remnants of Omar al-Bashir's Janjaweed that committed ethnic cleansing against non-Arab tribes in Darfur. These tensions came to a head on 15 April, when RSF forces attacked Sudanese forces in Khartoum, Merowe, and several cities across Darfur, including Nyala, El Fasher, and Geneina. [15] [16]

On 5 May 2023, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced a peace operation for peace in Sudan and a permanent ceasefire for the conflict on 20 May 2023. The agreement was officially signed and was supposed to come into effect two days later. This failed as large clashes still made headlines even after the announcement of the agreement in Sudan. [3]

Prelude

The large emergency evacuation plan for the humanitarian crisis and the evacuation of citizens in Sudan. ECDM 20230505 DM Sudan Conflict.pdf
The large emergency evacuation plan for the humanitarian crisis and the evacuation of citizens in Sudan.

After a surge of refugees, a large humanitarian crisis and evacuation of citizens and foreign nationals began. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. announced an agreement that would occur on 11 May 2023 between both warring parties with the help of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Humanitarian crisis in Sudan

The governor of the state of North Darfur called the humanitarian situation in the region of Darfur dire. [17] The Project Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the state's capital of the state El-Fasher said that the only remaining hospital in the state was "rapidly running out of medical supplies to treat survivors" while other hospitals have had to close due to their proximity to the conflict or the inability of staff to get to the facilities because of the violence. [18] MSF said that its compound in the city of Nyala, South Darfur, had been raided by armed men who "stole everything including vehicles and office equipment". [19]

Chad-Sudan border refugees in mid-May 2023 Screengrab of refugee camp from Number of Refugees Who Fled Sudan for Chad Double in Week.jpg
Chad-Sudan border refugees in mid-May 2023

The United Nations said on 2 May that the fighting in Sudan had produced around 334,000 internally displaced persons, while more than 100,000 had fled the country altogether. [20] The International Organization for Migration estimated that around 70% of IDPs came from the Darfur region. [21] The UN projected that the total number of refugees fleeing Sudan could reach more than 800,000 people. [22] By June 2023, The UN and other nations estimated this number to over 1.8 million internally displaced people (IDP's) and nearly 400,000 fleeing the country, mainly in the Darfur region.

During the evacuation, thousands of people fled from Port Sudan to Saudi Arabia via several boats. On 12 May 2023, announced the end of evacuations in Sudan and reported fully evacuating 19,639 people (8,455 people and 11,184 nationals) [23]

Agreement

On 5 May 2023, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced their commitment to helping Sudanese people with a permanent ceasefire and agreement between both parties in Jeddah. [24] On 11 May 2023 the agreement was signed in the city with the following requirements: [25]

The first agreement was broken a day later on 12 May 2023, and talks resumed again [26] On 21 May 2023, all the parties made a week long ceasefire for humanitarian aid and calmness in Sudan, the agreement came into effect 48-hour's later but was subsequently broken. [27] [28] A third meeting was made between the parties once again for a shorter but more effective ceasefire, [29] but was also violated completely with reports of atrocities such as the killing's of several orphans and the mistreatment of civilians. [30] On 31 May 2023, the SAF suspended their participation in the agreement, followed by both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia on 1 June 2023. [31] [32]

Talks resumed between all the parties on 7 June 2023. [33] Subsequently, talks were again suspended with attempts at resumption through mediation by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken failing in May 2024. [34]

Related Research Articles

The Janjaweed are an Arab nomad militia group operating in the Sahel region that operates in Sudan, particularly in Darfur and eastern Chad. They are also active in Yemen due to participating in the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen. According to the United Nations definition, Janjaweed membership consists of Arab nomad tribes from the Sahel, the core of whom are Abbala Arabs, traditionally employed in camel herding, with significant recruitment from the Baggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Darfur</span> Genocidal conflict in Southwestern Sudan

The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups began fighting against the government of Sudan, which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population. The government responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's non-Arabs. This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the indictment of Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid Support Forces</span> Sudanese paramilitary force formed in 2013

The Rapid Support Forces is a paramilitary force formerly operated by the government of Sudan. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. Its actions in Darfur were deemed crimes against humanity by Human Rights Watch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdel Fattah al-Burhan</span> Sudanese army general (born 1961)

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman al-Burhan is a Sudanese army general who is the de facto ruler of Sudan. Following the Sudanese Revolution in April 2019, he was handed control of the military junta, the Transitional Military Council, a day after it was formed, due to protesters' dissatisfaction with the establishment ties of initial leader Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf. He served as chairman of the TMC until a draft constitutional declaration signed with civilians went into effect on 17 August and a collective head of state Transitional Sovereignty Council was formed, also to be initially headed by al-Burhan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemedti</span> Sudanese military officer, former warlord and Janjaweed mercenary

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, is a Sudanese military officer and the current head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, he was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the RSF. He was considered by The Economist to be the most powerful person in Sudan as of early July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khartoum massacre</span> 2019 mass-killing in Sudan

The Khartoum massacre occurred on 3 June 2019, when the armed forces of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council, headed by the Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan of the Sudan Armed Forces and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the immediate successor organisation to the Janjaweed militia, used heavy gunfire and tear gas to disperse a sit-in by protestors in Khartoum, killing over 100 people, with difficulties in estimating the actual numbers. At least forty of the bodies had been thrown in the River Nile. Hundreds of unarmed civilians were injured, hundreds of unarmed citizens were arrested, many families were terrorised in their home estates across Sudan, and the RSF raped more than 70 women and men. The Internet was almost completely blocked in Sudan in the days following the massacre, making it difficult to estimate the number of victims.

The following lists events during 2023 in the Republic of the Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span> Ongoing civil war in Sudan since 2023

A civil war between two major rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies under the Janjaweed leader Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023. Three minor (neutral) factions have participated in the fighting: Darfur Joint Protection Force, SLM (al-Nur) under Abdul Wahid al-Nur, and SPLM-N under Abdelaziz al-Hilu. Fighting has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region. As of 14 November 2024, at least 61,000 people had been killed in Khartoum State alone, of which 26,000 were a direct result of the violence. As of 5 July 2024, over 7.7 million were internally displaced and more than 2.1 million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the Masalit massacres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Khartoum (2023–present)</span> Ongoing major battle of the Sudanese civil war

The battle of Khartoum is an ongoing major battle for control of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, with fighting in and around the city between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The battle began on 15 April 2023, after the RSF captured Khartoum International Airport, several military bases, and the presidential palace, starting an escalating series of clashes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Geneina</span> Major battles and massacres of the Darfur campaign of the Sudanese civil war

The Geneina massacre, also the Battle of Geneina, was a series of major battles for control of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias against Masalit self-defense militias and the Sudanese Alliance. The battles primarily lasted between April 24 and June 14, 2023, with major attacks and massacres by the RSF and allied militias on Masalit civilians in the city. After the killing of West Darfur governor Khamis Abakar on June 14, thousands of Masalit civilians were slaughtered in the city between June 14 and June 22 by the RSF and allied militias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darfur campaign</span> Ongoing military offensive in Sudan

The Darfur campaign or Darfur offensive is a theatre of operation in the war in Sudan that affects five states in Darfur: South Darfur, East Darfur, North Darfur, Central Darfur and West Darfur. The offensive mainly started on 15 April 2023 in West Darfur where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces captured Geneina, the conflict came after several days of high tensions between the forces and the government.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2023.

The Battle of Nyala was a battle for control of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces during the ongoing Darfur campaign. The first battle occurred between 15 and 20 April 2023, during which hundreds were reported dead. A civilian-brokered ceasefire paused the fighting by April 20. Sporadic clashes broke out between May and July. In August 2023, the RSF launched an offensive on the city. The SAF launched air campaigns against the RSF in Nyala, with many civilian casualties in Taiba and El Matar. In late September, the RSF besieged the headquarters the SAF's 16th Infantry Division headquarters, capturing it on October 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of El Fasher</span> 2024 military engagement during the third Sudanese civil war

The siege of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between 15 and 20 April 2023, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until 12 May. Clashes broke out again between 12 and 29 May, and ended with a more stable ceasefire that lasted until August. By September, the city had become a haven for refugees across the region, without enough food and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of El Obeid</span> Siege in the 2023 Sudan conflict

The siege of El Obeid was a siege in El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, during the 2023 Sudan conflict. The battle began on April 15, and saw the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) capture the El Obeid airport from the Sudanese Army contingent in the city. Throughout April and May, the Sudanese Army repelled several RSF assaults on the city, although by May 30, the RSF fully surrounded the city and laid siege to it.

The Battle of Kutum was a conflict during the War in Sudan which occurred in and around the town of Kutum in North Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces quickly overran the city, and carried out massacres in the city and the neighboring Kassab IDP camp. The group then attacked neighboring villages in early June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War crimes during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span>

The civil war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen widespread war crimes committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the RSF being singled out by the Human Rights Watch, and the United Kingdom and United States governments for committing ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdelrahim Dagalo</span> Sudanese military officer, former warlord and Janjaweed mercenary

Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo is a Sudanese military officer who is the deputy leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organisation in Sudan. Abdelrahim's political influence grew as he became the RSF's deputy leader in 2018, establishing strong ties within the Bashir regime. He played a role in the killing of the protesters during the 2019 protests.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wad An Nora massacre</span> 2024 massacre of villagers by the Rapid Support Forces

The Wad Al-Noora massacre started at around 05:00 (GMT+2) on 5 June 2024, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the village of Wad Al-Noora in Al-Jazira state twice, killing at least 100 civilians. The massacre followed after the RSF sieged and opened fire on the village.

References

  1. 1 2 African Affairs, Bureau of (11 May 2023). "Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan". US State GOV.
  2. 1 2 Spokesperson, Office of the (20 May 2023). "Agreement on a Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements in Sudan". US State GOV.
  3. 1 2 3 Abdelaziz, Khalid; Nureldin, Mohamed (21 May 2023). "Sudan ceasefire deal raises hopes for relief in Khartoum". Reuters. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Sudan's Darfur conflict: Why an accountant took up arms". Yahoo Life. 17 May 2023. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "5th Sudan Population and Housing Census Priority Results". Southern Sudan Center for Census, Statistics, and Evaluation. 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Peltier, Elian; Dahir, Abdi Latif (17 April 2023). "Who are the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitaries fighting Sudan's Army?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Stopping Sudan's Descent into Full-Blown Civil War". International Crisis Group . 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Egypt calls for maximum restraint in Sudan amid military clashes". Middle East Monitor . 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. 1 2 Jack Jeffrey & Samy Magdt, Deal to restore democratic transition in Sudan delayed again Archived 16 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine , Associated Press (7 April 2023).
  10. ↑ Walsh, Declan (15 April 2023). "Gunfire and Blasts Rock Sudan's Capital as Factions Vie for Control". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Sudan unrest: How did we get here?". Middle East Eye . 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Salih, Zeinab Mohammed; Igunza, Emmanuel (15 April 2023). "Sudan: Army and RSF battle over key sites, leaving 56 civilians dead". BBC News . British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "At least 56 killed, hundreds injured in clashes across Sudan as paramilitary group claims control of presidential palace". CNN. 16 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Olewe, Dickens (20 February 2023). "Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo: Top Sudan military figure says coup was a mistake". BBC News . Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "Sudan unrest: RSF captures presidential palace as violence rages". www.geo.tv. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Fighting between Sudan military rivals enters a second day, with dozens dead". CNN. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  17. ↑ السودان.. اشتباكات عنيفة بين الجيش وقوات الدعم السريع (لحظة بلحظة). Al Jazeera (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Students trapped, hospitals shelled and diplomats assaulted as Sudan fighting intensifies". CNN. 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Fierce battles for army headquarters and airport are underway in Sudan". CNN . 19 April 2023. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sudan crisis: Civilians facing 'catastrophe' as 100,000 flee fighting – UN". BBC . 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "Clashes rock Sudan ceasefire as UN official seeks aid protection". Al Jazeera . 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "More than 800,000 people may flee Sudan: UN". Al Jazeera . 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  23. ↑ "Saudi Arabia Finalizes Humanitarian Evacuations from Sudan | The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". www.saudiembassy.net. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  24. ↑ Wong, Edward; Dahir, Abdi Latif (5 May 2023). "Warring Parties in Sudan to Hold Talks in Saudi Arabia". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Jeddah Declaration: Overview of agreement's 7 points signed by Sudan's army, RSF". Al Arabiya English. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  26. ↑ Eye, Middle East (12 May 2023). "Sudan fighting resumes after 'meaningless' Jeddah agreement". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  27. ↑ Adan, Ali Mahmoud Ali, Elham Kazemi, Abdulkadir (26 May 2023). "Sudan Situation Update: May 2023 | Fighting Rages Amid Ceasefire Talks". ACLED. Retrieved 3 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ "Sudan conflict: Air strikes and clashes as new ceasefire begins". BBC News. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  29. ↑ In Dubai, Al Jazeera (31 May 2023). "Intense clashes in Sudan's capital after ceasefire extended". Reuters. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  30. ↑ Michael, Maggie (29 May 2023). "Special Report: Dozens of babies die in orphanage as Sudan war takes grim toll on Khartoum". Reuters. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  31. ↑ "Sudan army suspends participation in Jeddah ceasefire talks". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  32. ↑ SudanTribune (2 June 2023). "Facilitators suspend Sudan ceasefire talks amid serious violations". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  33. ↑ "Sudan's warring parties resume ceasefire talks in Jeddah". Al Arabiya English. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  34. ↑ "Sudan's Agar refuses U.S. invitation to resume Jeddah talks". Sudan Tribune. 29 May 2024.
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