Peace negotiations aimed at ending Sudan’s 16-month war are expected to begin in Geneva today, despite the Sudanese army’s refusal to attend the talks mediated by the United States. Sudanese army officials said they would not show up, accusing the Rapid Support Forces of violating an agreement between the warring parties brokered in Saudi Arabia last year, and also criticized the presence of the United Arab Emirates, which it accuses of backing the RSF, as one of the observers in the Geneva negotiations.

This comes as the International Organization for Migration warns Sudan is at a breaking point as famine has worsened an already catastrophic displacement crisis. Massive floods across Sudan since June have also compounded the mass displacement. The IOM has called on an urgent global response to the situation in Sudan and increased access to humanitarian aid to prevent tens of thousands of more deaths in the coming months.