(Politics): Diplomacy Should Seize 'Narrow Window' for Peace in Sudan - ICG

Analysts say a spat between Sudan and Kenya is hurting regional efforts to mediate an end to the war in Sudan, Voice of America reports. This week a Sudanese general accused Kenyan President William Ruto of favoring the paramilitary forces battling the Sudanese army, after Ruto suggested deploying East African peacekeeping troops to Sudan.

In a new analysis of the situation in Sudan, the International Crisis Group (ICG) says concerted high-level efforts to urge key leaders on both sides to end the war through talks are needed. The ICG writes that "whether the two sides can find middle ground is an open question, but there is reason enough to test the proposition.

The army's battlefield losses and besieged headquarters give it strong motivations to come to the table; likewise, the RSF's narrow base of support, abysmal standing at home and abroad, and the steep odds of taking all of Sudan by force have long meant that, even if it comes out on top militarily, it needs a negotiated settlement," the ICG writes.

As of July 23, 2023, it's been 100 days since conflict broke out between Sudan's army and the RSF. Reuters reports that the fighting, which began in mid-April, has devastated the capital Khartoum, caused a sharp increase in ethnically-driven violence in Darfur, and displaced over three million people.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that at least 435 children have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in the 100 days of fighting. The UN agency added that there have been more than 2,500 severe violations of children's rights - an average of more than one an hour - in a country where 14 million youngsters need aid relief.

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