The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, called on Monday for an end to the fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has so far left nearly a hundred civilians dead, apart from casualties among the fighting forces.
I strongly condemn the outbreak of fighting in Sudan and call on the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and begin a dialogue to resolve the crisis,» he said.
Guterres said, before opening the Forum for Financing for Development, that the outbreak of violence »has already resulted in horrific loss of life, including civilians». Any further escalation could be devastating for the country and the region,» he said.
In this regard, he urged the parties to »support efforts to end the violence, restore order and return to the path of transition». The humanitarian situation in Sudan was already precarious and is now catastrophic,» he said.
Guterres, who spoke over the weekend with the head of the Sudanese Army, Abdelfatá al Burhan, as well as with the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias ‘Hemedti’, is in »active» contact with the African Union, the Arab League, as well as with the leaders of the region».
»I condemn the deaths and injuries of both civilians and humanitarian workers, as well as the attacks and looting. I remind all parties of the need to respect international law, including ensuring the safety and security of all UN staff, associated personnel and humanitarian workers,» he concluded.
For their part, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union and the United Nations have issued a joint communiqué in which they also urge the parties to a »humanitarian pause» which was not complied with »in its entirety» the day before.
»The pause would provide an opportunity to allow civilians trapped in conflict zones to access critical assistance and supplies, receive medical assistance, or exit safely. Only the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF have the power to ensure that the pause is maintained and can guarantee the protection of civilians,» they added.
Sudan’s leading civilian organizations and political parties have called in unison over the weekend not only for an end to the fighting, but also for an end to the »militarization» that has dominated »public space» in the country for decades and particularly since the overthrow four years ago of dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir following a revolution in which civilians were an instrumental part.
The African country was ruled before the outbreak of fighting by a junta led by the army chief who had as his ‘number two’ the military leader of the RSF. Disagreements between the two over paramilitary integration into a future unified army – an agreement prior to the formation of a new civilian-led unity government – eventually degenerated into this conflict.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
