Sudan’s Neighboring Countries Convene in Cairo for Summit on Resolving Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis

On Thursday, the summit of Sudan’s neighboring countries kicked off in Cairo, in an attempt to mediate between the two warring parties, which is the latest international effort to prevent the outbreak of civil war and the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, called on the warring parties to stop the Sudanese bloodshed, and to launch an inclusive national dialogue aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution.

In his speech at the summit hosted by Cairo, Al-Sisi called for unifying the visions of Sudan’s neighboring countries regarding the crisis in Sudan, pointing out that the southern neighbor “is going through a deep crisis that has negative repercussions on security and stability in the region and the world.”

For his part, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for a permanent ceasefire in Sudan, and for the continuation of dialogue to achieve peace.

Abiy Ahmed said during his speech at the Cairo summit that the repercussions of the conflict in Sudan affected all neighboring countries.

In turn, the head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Muhammad al-Munfi, called for an immediate ceasefire and unification of efforts aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis.

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki said during his speech:

We call for respect for the independence and sovereignty of Sudan. We call for preventing foreign interference in Sudanese affairs. The Sudanese people will have the last word in resolving the crisis.

In the words of the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit:

Ending the conflict in Sudan is a priority for its neighboring countries. This summit comes at a critical time and is not a new forum. The Sudanese people must not be ignored in attempts to find a solution to the conflict. We call on the international community to provide ways to deal with the “catastrophic” crisis in Sudan.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces broke out in the capital, Khartoum, in April, and spread westward into the already troubled regions of Darfur and Kordofan.

The United Nations said that the conflict has killed more than a thousand civilians and displaced three million, and warned of a growing hunger crisis.

The United States and Saudi Arabia brokered several ceasefire agreements in Sudan, but suspended the 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 invited Sudan’s neighbors to attend Thursday’s summit.

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2023-07-13 08:53:47