Sudan pushes for regional oversight of Jeddah Declaration

November 12, 2024 (UNITED NATIONS) – Sudan called on the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to back a joint national and regional mechanism to oversee the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, a fragile ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The call comes as Britain prepares to introduce a draft resolution to the council to establish a “compliance mechanism” to ensure the implementation of the agreement signed on May 11.

Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idris, urged the council to support a phased withdrawal of RSF forces from civilian areas, starting with the capital, Khartoum.

“We demand the activation of a mechanism to implement the Jeddah commitments within a joint national and regional mechanism, preferably to be applied first in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North,” Idris said.

He proposed a 10-day deadline for the RSF to evacuate all civilian targets in the capital, including medical facilities, water and electricity installations, in line with the Jeddah Declaration.

Idris said the army is committed to opening safe corridors and establishing designated camps for the withdrawing RSF forces.

The second phase would involve evacuating civilian targets in other states seized by the RSF after signing the Jeddah Declaration. This phase should be completed within a month, with RSF forces gathering in agreed-upon camps.

Idris emphasized that Sudanese police forces would assume responsibility for security checkpoints throughout the country. He also highlighted the government’s plan to bolster civilian protection mechanisms and address war crimes committed by the RSF.

Additionally, Idris called for support for joint forces in Darfur and increased monitoring of the Adre border crossing with Chad, which he accused the RSF of exploiting to smuggle weapons. He proposed a joint Sudanese-Chadian mechanism, under international supervision, to oversee the crossing, which is due to close for aid deliveries on Friday.