Guterres will address the conflict in Sudan in a meeting with the leaders of the African Union, the Arab League and IGAD

The international community calls for an effective ceasefire between the Sudanese Army and the RSF

20 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, will meet this Thursday electronically to address the situation in Sudan, in which the president of the African Union, the Secretary General of the Arab League and also the executive secretary of the Authority will participate. Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD).

Guterres has convened this meeting after a telephone call with the president of Kenya, William Ruto, and another later with the president of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. At the moment, the participation of any high-ranking officer of the Sudanese Army or of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has not been confirmed.

The Secretary General’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, confirmed during a press conference that Guterres continues to seek a 24-hour truce in talks with various parties involved in some way in the conflict, while the UN representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes , has spoken directly with leaders on both sides of the conflict, as well as with representatives of various nations and regional organizations.

In a statement, the ‘Trilateral Mechanism’ — the African Union, IGAD and the UN Integrated Mission for Transition Assistance in Sudan (UNITAMS) — has reiterated the need to comply with the ceasefire in force until 6:00 p.m. hours (local time) on April 20.

They have also called on “all sides (of the conflict) to create the necessary conditions during this period (of ceasefire) for civilians to seek refuge, food and medical assistance.”

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TURNS OUT TO REQUEST A CEASE-FIRE

On the other hand, the United States has again condemned “military actions that have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, and that are recklessly endangering the people of Sudan, diplomats and humanitarian workers,” according to statements by the spokeswoman for the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre.

“Senior US military officials are in direct contact with the leaders of the Army and the RSF, and we continue to press for them to immediately establish a ceasefire,” the spokeswoman said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also denounced this Wednesday that “hospitals in the capital have a dangerously low stock of medical supplies, and the damage to water and energy infrastructures have also left medical institutions without electricity no clean water.”

They have also denounced a raid at one of their offices in Nyala, in the Darfur region -which they have warned in recent days lacks any kind of order-, where the assailants have also stolen a vehicle belonging to the organization.

“It is extremely heartbreaking to hear reports of civilian deaths and bodies left on the streets of Khartoum. They need to be collected and treated with dignity,” lamented the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, Patrick Youssef. “We ask for safe humanitarian access immediately,” he added.