Facilitated by the East African regional body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, the meeting was initially scheduled to take place Thursday in Djibouti.
The meeting would have marked the first direct encounter between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of RSF, since Sudan's conflict erupted over eight months ago.
In a letter addressed to IGAD’s member states, Djibouti stated that the meeting scheduled for "28th December 2023 has been postponed to early January 2024 for technical reasons," promising that the exact dates would be "communicated in due time."
Sudan's conflict has taken a severe toll on half of the northeast African country, resulting in the loss of over 10,000 lives and the displacement of 7 million people, according to United Nations estimates.
Recent military gains by the RSF in various parts of Sudan, including Darfur and Jazeera state, have added complexity to the peace process.
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier released a statement on Wednesday citing a memorandum from Djibouti, indicating that RSF's leader was "unable to reach Djibouti for the scheduled meeting ... due to technical reasons."
However, RSF advisor Yousif Izzat dismissed the ministry's claim as "fake news" and denied technical issues on the RSF side.
Izzat told VOA via WhatsApp, "RSF commander agreed to meet, and today (Wednesday) he (would head) outside of Khartoum to the region."
Meanwhile, on X, formerly Twitter, Dagalo highlighted his Wednesday visit to Uganda.
He said he discussed "developments in Sudan and the suffering of the Sudanese people" with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, presenting his vision for negotiations, ending the war, and rebuilding the Sudanese state.
On Monday, former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok took a proactive step, sending two official letters to the warring generals, requesting "an urgent meeting for consultation on effective ways to halt the war."
Hamdok emphasized the conflict's devastating impact on Sudanese citizens, including loss of life, displacement, and infrastructure destruction, highlighting the ongoing threat to the country's stability.
Dagalo acknowledged receiving Hamdok's letter "with a sense of urgency and responsibility," expressing eagerness to hold the meeting.
He welcomed "all national initiatives aimed at fostering peace and reducing the hardships resulting from this war."
Sudan army chief Burhan has not publicly commented on Hamdok's call.
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