Sudan’s warring factions pledge aid access, civilian protection – mediators
August 23, 2024 (GENEVA) – Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed to allowing humanitarian access and improving civilian protection, international mediators said on Thursday, following 10 days of talks in Switzerland.
The talks, hosted by a group of countries and organizations known as the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group, aimed to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities.
The ALPD which includes the United States of America, Switzerland, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the United Nations convened in Switzerland on August 14, 2024.
The warring sides pledged to provide “safe and unhindered humanitarian access” through two key routes, enabling aid delivery to millions in need, a joint statement said. The RSF also committed to refraining from violations against civilians and attacks on humanitarian operations.
The first route is through Adré crossing in West Darfur from Chad and the second is Dabbah Road with access through the Northern State to the Darfur region from Port Sudan.
According to the statement, they also committed to improving the protection of civilians, especially women and children.
“We have urged both parties, and received the RSF’s commitment, to issue command directives to all fighters throughout their ranks to refrain from violations, including violence against women or children, the use of starvation or checkpoints for exploitation, and attacks on humanitarian operations and essential services such as agricultural fields, farmers and operations related to the harvest”.
Mediators proposed a mechanism to address disputes and ensure compliance with commitments on civilian protection while calling on both sides to implement the Jeddah Declaration and international humanitarian and human rights law.
The absence of the army from the Geneva talks limited progress, the statement said, while commending the RSF for sending a high-level delegation.
The conflict in Sudan has displaced millions and left more than 25 million people facing severe hunger. The ALPS Group called on the international community to increase its financial support for the humanitarian response.
(ST)