In the latest international effort to prevent the outbreak of a civil war and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Egypt is hosting a regional summit on Thursday in an effort to mediate between the warring parties in Sudan.

 

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 Edited  by |ANNA sam

 

Politic section -  CJ journalist

Sudan conflict news section  

 

Cairo – July,13,2023

 

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At the opening of the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned of the seriousness of the Sudanese crisis and its "catastrophic" consequences, calling for an "immediate and sustainable" cessation of military operations and addressing the crisis "from its roots through reaching a comprehensive political solution".

Sisi put forward Egypt's vision of Sudan's exit from its crisis, which includes a cessation of escalation and the involvement of the parties to the conflict in serious negotiations to reach an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the establishment of safe corridors for the passage of humanitarian aid, the launch of an inclusive dialogue for the Sudanese military and civilians to start a comprehensive political process, and finally the development of an executive action plan to reach a comprehensive solution to the crisis.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary "Rapid Support" forces broke out in the capital Khartoum in April and spread west to the already troubled Darfur and Kordofan regions. The UN said the conflict had killed more than a thousand civilians and displaced three million, and warned of a growing hunger crisis.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have brokered several ceasefires in Sudan, but suspended talks due to violations by both sides of the conflict. Earlier this week, Ethiopia hosted a regional summit of East African countries, but the Sudanese army boycotted it, accusing Kenya, the main sponsor, of bias.

Egypt, which has close ties with the Sudanese army, invited Sudan's neighboring countries to attend the summit on Thursday. Two Egyptian security sources told Reuters that the summit aims to prevent foreign interference and influence in the fighting, and to launch a process to reach a peaceful agreement to stop the fighting, " the statement said.

The plan would seek a three-month truce and open humanitarian aid routes through a series of meetings with military and tribal leaders, the sources said.

The parties did not adhere to previous truce agreements, the periods of which were for one or several days, and the UN envoy to Sudan Volker Peretz described them as opportunities for the troops to redeploy.

In a speech on Wednesday, the envoy described the mediation attempts as "emergency diplomacy". "Both warring parties still believe that they can win the war, so they accept diplomatic initiatives when they think they can help achieve their goals,"he said.

Among the African leaders attending the summit is Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose country is at odds with Egypt over the construction of a giant dam on the Blue Nile. Ahmed met on Wednesday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after he announced last week the postponement of the fourth filling of the dam this summer and ensuring that Sudan and Egypt get enough water in a conciliatory step after years of tension.

Meanwhile, the UN announced that the bodies of at least 87 people of Masalit and other ethnicities believed to have been killed last month by the "Rapid Support" forces and their allies in West Darfur, were buried in a mass grave outside El Geneina, the state capital.

According to reliable information obtained by the UN High Commissioner for human rights, they were killed between June 13 and 21 in the school and Customs neighborhoods of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

According to the UNHCR, local residents were forced to dispose of the bodies in a mass grave, which deprived the dead of a proper burial in one of the city's cemeteries.

The UN said that according to sources, at least 37 bodies were buried on June 20 in a cemetery about one meter deep in an exposed area called the red dirt, located in the Ranga area at a distance of two to four kilometers northwest of the headquarters of the Central Reserve Police, west of El Geneina.

Another 50 bodies were also buried at the same site on June 21. Among those buried are seven women and seven children.

Based on reliable information gathered by UNHCR, those buried were killed by the "Rapid Support" forces between June 13 and 21 in the schools and Customs neighborhoods of El Geneina city, including many victims of the violence that followed the killing of the governor of West Darfur Khamis earlier on June 14 shortly after his arrest by the "Rapid Support"forces.

 

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