Photo only for illustrative purpose
New York: Participants at a Ministerial Meeting on Sudan, convened by Germany, France, the United States and the European Union in New York during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, called on the warring parties to immediately re-engage in negotiations, cease hostilities and finally end the war.
They said they were “gravely alarmed” by the escalating hostilities in El Fasher which are putting civilians at extreme risk, and demanded an immediate halt to the siege. They called on the warring groups to commit, as a first step, to localized humanitarian pauses and ensure immediate humanitarian access to El Fasher, Sennar and Khartoum so that civilians are protected and humanitarian operations can reach those in direst need of lifesaving assistance.
The Ministerial Meeting was in support of the Sudanese people and their aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future. It was attended by representatives of the United Nations, Germany, France, the United States, the European Union, the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye.
The participants expressed deep concern about the catastrophic and still rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan, reiterated the commitments made in the Declaration of Principles adopted in Paris on April 15, 2024, one year into the conflict, and informed about their initiatives for advancing peace in Sudan.
The ongoing “brutal” hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other armed groups continue to cause devastating suffering across the country. Participants said it was essential that the warring parties adhere to their commitments made in Jeddah, Geneva, and subsequent negotiations, abide by the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2736 and fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The participants urged them to ensure the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel and of civilian and critical infrastructure.
Moreover, the participants called upon all foreign actors, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and the commitments made in Paris, to refrain from providing military support to the warring parties and to focus their efforts towards building the conditions for a negotiated resolution of the conflict. They expressed their readiness to support establishing a cessation of hostilities monitoring mechanism, as well as to take appropriate measures to ensure the protection of civilians. Both parties to the conflict were called to immediately engage in a constructive discussion regarding the Compliance Mechanism proposed by the ALPS Group to protect civilians and to facilitate access to humanitarian assistance in all parts of Sudan.
The participants believed that the international community should be prepared to explore options to support the implementation and durability of any future local or nationwide cessation of hostilities.
They expressed their support for an inclusive and comprehensive political process with civilian actors at its core, including women and youth, to meet the long-delayed aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Sudan.
– global bihari bureau
