African Union PSC calls to hold emergency summit on Sudan war
June 21, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) Friday called for an extraordinary summit to address the escalating war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The decision was made during the 1218th meeting held at the level of Heads of State and Government on June 21, chaired by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, PSC Chairman, with the participation of Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission; Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Chair of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan, Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Executive Secretary of the League of Arab States.
The meeting “Proposes the convening of an extraordinary summit of the AU to consider the situation in Sudan; and, in this regard, requests the AU Commission, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Union, to consult on the date and venue of the aforementioned extraordinary summit,” read a communiqué issued after the meeting.
The PSC stressed that a ceasefire can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the key actors in the war. To facilitate this, an Ad-hoc Presidential Committee has been established, comprising one Head of State and Government from each region of the continent and led by President Museveni. This committee will focus on facilitating face-to-face engagements between the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The statement called upon the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and the RSF Commander to meet under the auspices of the AU and IGAD without further delay.
The IGAD and the Saudi-US-led Jeddah process tried to organize such a meeting but they failed because Sudan military leaders accused the IGAD of bias and asked the Jeddah mediators to bring the RSF to implement a previous agreement signed in May 2023 before such a meeting.
The Council commended the efforts of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan and IGAD in organizing the upcoming all-inclusive Sudan political dialogue process in Addis Ababa from July 10 to 15, 2024. The PSC also recognized the ongoing efforts by Egypt to facilitate dialogue among Sudanese actors in Cairo, scheduled for early July 2024.
The regional body urged all Sudanese actors to actively support the political dialogue towards a durable, people-driven solution to the conflict and the restoration of constitutional democratic order in Sudan.
Concerning the humanitarian situation, the Council demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end the suffering of the Sudanese people. The PSC also strongly called upon the belligerents to grant humanitarian access and protection to humanitarian workers, ensuring the provision of emergency assistance to those in need.
Breaking the silence of the African Union over the interferences of external actors in the Sudanese conflict including regional and neighbouring countries, the Council directed the PSC Sub-Committee on Sanctions to liaise with the AU Commission and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) to identify all external actors supporting the warring factions militarily, financially and politically, as well as make proposals on how to contain each of them within a stipulated timeframe not exceeding three months from June 2024.
(ST)