Egypt, int'l parties welcome Sudan decision to re-open Adre border crossing

Ahram Online , Friday 16 Aug 2024

Egypt, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) welcomed Friday the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) decision to re-open the Adre border crossing.

Men load Ethiopian products onto a truck in Sudan's border town of Gallabat on August 2, 2023. A
Men load Ethiopian products onto a truck in Sudan's border town of Gallabat on August 2, 2023. AFP

 

In a joint statement on the Sudanese crisis, the parties considered this decision a crucial step towards saving lives and preventing the spread of famine, looking forward to seeing the first convoys cross in the coming days.

They called on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to take immediate steps to secure the relief groups' entrance through the Adre crossing and facilitate humanitarian aid access, ensuring operational independence from armed and political actors.

Additionally, the parties called for immediate steps to deliver humanitarian aid to Darfur and across the Sudanese territories through safe and unhindered passage, regardless of which party controls the territory.

"The expansion of humanitarian assistance is a top priority for the members of the international community gathered in Switzerland," the statement read.

Moreover, they stressed that facilitating humanitarian access and protecting civilians align with the commitments made under Jeddah declarations and obligations aligning with international humanitarian law.

US-sponsored talks to address the Sudanese conflict commenced in Switzerland Wednesday, amid the absence of the Sudanese government.

The talks, co-hosted by Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the AU, and the UN acting as a steering group, aim to reach a ceasefire and improve humanitarian access in Sudan.

Previous negotiations in Jeddah have failed to put an end to the war.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war between the SAF and the RSF, resulting in more than 13,000 deaths and displacing more than 10 million people.

Egypt has since received thousands of Sudanese refugees fleeing the war and hosted several summits to address the Sudanese crisis.

Last week, a UN-backed assessment said that the intensive Sudanese war has caused a famine at Zamzam camp near Darfur's besieged city of El-Fasher.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) review, used by UN agencies, announced in July 2024 the ongoing famine at Zamzam camp.

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