Sudanese army chief, Blinken discuss Sudan conflict, humanitarian access

Khartoum, May 30 (IANS) Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has held a phone talk with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, discussing the need to end the conflict in Sudan and enable unhindered humanitarian access to alleviate people's suffering, according to a statement from the council.

The US State Department has called for ending the conflict in Sudan and allowing humanitarian access, said the statement on Wednesday as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

During the phone call from Blinken, the two sides also touched upon the resumption of the Jeddah talks and the need for cessation of hostilities in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan, it added.

Al-Burhan, also the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in addition, discussed with Blinken bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15, 2023, which have killed 15,550 people and displaced more than 8.8 million others so far, according to the latest estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.