Sudan neighbours agree to maintain contacts with Sudanese belligerents for lasting ceasefire

Amr Kandil , Tuesday 8 Aug 2023

The first meeting of Sudan’s neighbouring states’ foreign ministers in Chad has stressed the need to maintain direct and continuous contacts with the Sudanese belligerents “in order to identify the determinants for a lasting ceasefire.”

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Sudan s neighbouring states foreign ministers hold their first meeting in Chad to tackle the Sudanese crisis. Egypt MFA

 

The meeting on Monday was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Libya as well as the Ethiopian ambassador to Chad, the African Union and League of Arab States.

At the meeting, participants reviewed the current situation in Sudan and its effects on neighbouring states.

The gathering, dubbed the ministerial mechanism to find a comprehensive solution to end the armed conflict in Sudan, was formed at the Sudan Neighbouring Countries Summit hosted by Egypt on 13 July.

Reaching a ceasefire in Sudan would end the destruction of innocent lives and infrastructures and allow the functioning of health establishments and other basic services, the final communique of the meeting read.

Humanitarian support
 

The foreign ministers agreed on the need to set up humanitarian warehouses in their states to ensure rapid transport of relief supplies and medical care for the victims of the conflict.

They also called for keeping humanitarian corridors open and urged belligerents to facilitate the population’s access to the assistance in line with the international humanitarian law.

The ministers called for donor countries and organisations to speed up support for the United Nations’ Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan.

Action plan, next meeting
 

Sudan’s neighbouring states’ foreign ministers called for complementary and effective coordination between African initiatives tackling the Sudanese crisis, including those from the African Union, the neighbouring states, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The ministers also drew up a plan of action that will be submitted to the heads of state and government to complement the existing mechanisms of the African Union and IGAD, the communique read.

The action plan tackles the achievement of a definitive ceasefire, organising an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue, and managing humanitarian issues.

The ministers agreed to meet in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in September to continue their efforts.

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