Internationally mediated peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's devastating civil war collapsed on Saturday in Geneva after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) delegation abruptly withdrew from negotiations, accusing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Western mediators of presenting a framework designed to favour the military government in Khartoum.

The talks, convened under African Union auspices with logistical support from Switzerland and diplomatic backing from the United States and European Union, had been regarded as the most substantive engagement between the two warring factions in over six months. Mediators had proposed a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire as a confidence-building measure ahead of broader political discussions, but RSF representatives declared the terms unacceptable minutes before a scheduled signing ceremony.

AU Special Envoy Mamadou Diallo expressed 'profound disappointment' in a brief statement outside the Palais des Nations, saying all parties had an obligation to protect civilian lives. The United States State Department said it was 'deeply troubled' by the breakdown and warned that further international pressure could follow if the RSF failed to re-engage within days.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed an estimated 150,000 people and displaced more than 10 million, triggering what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Aid agencies operating in Darfur and Kordofan warned on Saturday that the collapse of talks would almost certainly lead to renewed large-scale offensive operations before the rainy season begins in June.

SAF spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah said in Khartoum that his forces remained committed to peace but would not negotiate 'under the shadow of RSF extortion.' Analysts noted that both sides typically use collapsed talks to consolidate battlefield positions, raising fears of intensified fighting around El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur not under RSF control.