Security Council President calls for end to Sudan conflict
June 14, 2024 (JUBA)- The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis has called for an immediate stoppage of what he described as the “unprecedented escalation of violence in Sudan”.
The Trinidad and Tobago diplomat, on a visit to South Sudan, expressed his readiness to help build peace and sustainability in war-torn Sudan.
“As President of the General Assembly, my door remains open to help build peace, progress, prosperity, and sustainability for all – here in the Republic of South Sudan, in the wider region, and including in neighboring Sudan where we are witnessing the unprecedented escalation of violence that must stop, now; and indeed, around the world”, he said after meeting President Salva Kiir.
Francis, who has served as his country’s permanent representative to the UN since 2021, said peace remains the only way to end political disputes.
“Here, I must emphasize that there is inspiration to be drawn from Mahatma Gandhi’s apt words of wisdom that: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way”, he said.
South Sudan’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramadan Mohammed Abdallah Goch Ayuel commended Francis’s visit in support of South Sudan’s peace process.
“The President of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Denis Francis shares the same vision of peace, sustainable progress, unity, and stability of the region. he greatly appreciated and thanked his excellency president Salva Kiir Mayardit for his unrelenting efforts on the Sudan peace process, notably on his recent decision to task the adviser on the national affairs, Hon. Tut Gatluak to coordinate and continue with the engagement of the parties to the conflict in Sudan”, said Ayuel
The South Sudanese diplomat explained that the political landscape in Sudan has become increasingly complex since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, affecting not only Sudan’s internal dynamics, but also having profound implications for regional and global politics.
The conflict, he said, has adversely impacted the country’s socio-cultural fabric, economy, and daily lives of its people while exacerbating the already fragile situation since South Sudan seceded.
Observers have, however, pointed out that the deepening crisis has heightened the interest and intervention of global and regional actors in the disputes among Sudanese groups, resolving these challenges even more daunting.
The situation in war-torn Sudan has overgrown and spilled over to the region with direct impacts on the countries in the area. The conflict has affected the flow of South Sudan’s oil to the international market for sale through Sudan.
Some analysts say the future of Sudan is closely tied to the cessation of internal disputes, the establishment of political stability, and economic development, supported by the international community and collaboration among local actors.
(ST)