African leaders committee to seek ceasefire in Sudan
July 10, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA)- A special committee of African heads of state and government has been formed by the African Peace and Security Council to mediate the Sudanese conflict. The committee will engage with both army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemetti,” to achieve an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Preliminary deliberations for the Sudanese political process, under the auspices of the African Union, commenced today, Wednesday, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The opening session saw the participation of some organizations from the Democratic Bloc and women’s groups.
The meeting was attended by approximately 20 Sudanese political groups, most notably the Return to the Founding Platform, the Democratic Bloc, the National Movement Forces, the Sudan Alliance for Justice, the National Consensus Group, Women’s Representatives, some representatives of the Native Administration,” the Popular Congress Party and other political entities.
Absent from the participation were the Coordination of Democratic Civilian Forces “Tagadum,” the Sudan Liberation Movements led by Abdel Wahid Nour and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, the Communist Party, and the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party.
The head of the African Peace and Security Council, Monguel Mimbi, said in a speech during the opening session that the African Union “decided to hold an extraordinary African summit on Sudan in the coming months.”
He described the situation in Sudan as catastrophic, stressing that the council’s recent meeting at the level of presidents agreed that the African Peace and Security Council should deal with the cessation of fighting as a top priority.
He pointed out the “formation of a dedicated committee of heads of state and government to deal with the two parties to the conflict, ‘Burhan and Hemetti,’ for the immediate cessation of fighting without conditions, which will begin its work next week.”
Mimbi called for the launch of a platform that reflects the unified voice of civilians and agreement on a single vision for a united Sudan for recovery, stressing that the Peace Council supports the establishment of peace in Sudan.
The council expressed deep concern over foreign interventions fuelling the conflict by providing financial and military support to both sides.
Membe revealed that the African Peace and Security Council directed the Sanctions Committee to identify the sources of this support and requested the African Union Commission to explore ways to protect civilians.
He affirmed that the council has been working diligently since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan, holding meetings at various levels to resolve it.
He expressed regret over the continuation of the conflict despite international efforts to stop the war and its spread to new parts of Sudan.
He pointed to reports indicating that more than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has been ongoing since mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
Membe noted that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached critical levels, with reports that the country is nearing famine, the number of displaced people has risen to 10 million, in addition to 2 million refugees in neighbouring countries. He indicated that there are documented cases of violations of international human rights law, racial discrimination, sexual assaults, and the destruction of infrastructure.
In the same context, the Executive Secretary of IGAD, Workneh Gebeyehu, said that the organisation has helped since the outbreak of the war to bring the parties together for negotiations, but those efforts have stalled due to obstruction by the supporters of this conflict.
During his speech at the preparatory meeting, Gebeyehu stressed that dialogue is necessary to restore constitutional order in Sudan, and indicated the importance of this political process being inclusive and broadly representative.
“This process must be owned by the Sudanese people, as the conflict has seen many external interventions,” he added.
He called on the participants in the process to send a clear message to those working to obstruct the ceasefire and negotiations.
In turn, the representative of the African Union Commissioner and the Head of Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the Commission, Adkoni Bankoli, described in his speech at the opening session, the first round of consultations of the task.
Bankoli said that the preparatory process for the political process is in cooperation with the African Peace and Security Council, the Arab League, the United States, and IGAD.
He called on the participants to follow the methodology of comprehensive consultations and constructive dialogue.
He added: “We call on the participating groups to be guided by comprehensive consultations, constructive dialogue, and the desired peace plans in Africa.”
He stressed the importance of working together without political differences to protect the Sudanese people, protect civilians, and ensure access to aid, especially for women, children, and the elderly who are trapped.
The political commissioner also stressed that there will be no military solution to the conflict in Sudan, saying: “We must work to protect civilians in Sudan, prevent the conflict from spreading to neighbouring countries, and restore constitutional order in Sudan.”