UN Chief to discuss ceasefire in Sudan with African Union leaders

February 8, 2024 (NEW YORK) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres Thursday said he plans to discuss concrete steps with AU leaders to bring warring parties to the negotiating table and implement a humanitarian ceasefire.

Speaking in a press conference in New York, Guterres expressed deep concern about the 10-month conflict, calling it “horrible” and emphasizing the dire need for peace. He highlighted ongoing collaboration with regional partners like the African Union, Arab League, and IGAD to facilitate dialogue and humanitarian aid.

“Next week’s AU Summit is crucial,” Guterres stressed referring to the assembly of the heads of state and government on February 17-18 February. “We must unite efforts to get both sides to the table. A ceasefire and aid access are vital for the suffering Sudanese people.”

He urged the international community and countries with influence on both sides to actively pressure for a ceasefire and engage in diplomatic efforts. He warned that further fighting won’t solve the crisis and emphasized the urgency of stopping the “atrocities.”

“There is no military solution for Sudan. They can go on fighting on and on, and that, of course, will not solve or bring any solution, so we must stop this as soon as possible,” he stressed.

An Expanded Mechanism on the Sudan Crisis was established at the Ministerial Special Session on Sudan, convened by the AU Commission on April 2023, five days after the eruption of the conflict in Sudan.

The mechanism involves the African Union, Arab League, IGAD, European Union, and the United Nations. The other panel members are neighbouring countries, African countries and Permanent members of the UN Security Council, besides Friends of Sudan group countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates.

The IGAD has been mandated to broker a process in Sudan to end the war and hold an inclusive political process to achieve a democratic transition.

Recently, the military-led Sudanese government suspended the country’s membership in the IGAD and stopped dealing with this regional body, considering that regional supporters of the RSF paramilitary group manned it.

On February 1, Djibouti President and IGAD Chair Ismail Omer Guelleh sent a letter to the head of the Sovereign Council and de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan requesting to resume the talks to end the conflict based on their mandate by the Expanded Mechanism.

However, the Sudanese government reaffirmed on Thursday that they remain only committed to the Jeddah Process and reject any other platform.

(ST)