THE Sudanese army and its rival the Rapid Support Force (RSF) resumed peace talks yesterday in a new push to end their deadly nearly seven-month conflict, Saudi Arabia said.

The revived talks between representatives from the Sudanese army, led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, are underway in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. 

The talks are being brokered by both Riyadh and Washington, a statement from the kingdom said.

The RSF and the army both confirmed on Wednesday that they would participate in talks.

Sudan was plunged into crisis in mid-April, when simmering tensions between the two forces exploded into open warfare in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas across the east African nation.

The two forces had previously co-operated in suppressing Sudan’s democratic revolution.

The conflict has reduced Khartoum and many other urban areas to battlefields, wrecking the country’s already dilapidated infrastructure.

Peace talks had previously been held in Jeddah earlier this year but broke down in late June. 

Since April there have been at least nine temporary ceasefire deals and all have been breached.

The Saudi foreign ministry said it hoped the fresh negotiations would lead to another ceasefire agreement and also a political agreement to “return security, stability and prosperity for Sudan and its people.”

This comes as the RSF reportedly seized control of Sudan’s second largest city, Nyala.

Fighting in the area has forced more than 670,000 people to flee their homes.

The army has issued no comment on the situation in Nyala.

At least 9,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict and 4.5 million people have been driven from their homes to other places inside Sudan. More than 1.2 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, the United Nations migration agency says.