July 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have criticized the Sudanese Army’s refusal to join a regional meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where African leaders are meeting to address the war that broke out on April 15.
The RSF, which have thanked the invitation of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the main cooperation agency for East African countries, have considered it “disheartening that the Sudanese Armed Forces have declined to participate in the summit despite to be present in Addis Ababa”, while they have stressed that their own attendance is due to their “firm belief that a peaceful solution must be found (…) as soon as possible”.
“His decision only serves to reinforce our assertions that the decision-making apparatus of the armed forces has been compromised, with multiple factions competing for control,” reads a statement from the paramilitaries, who have pointed out that the “divisions internal conflicts” perpetuate the crisis and hamper the efforts of regional and international allies to end the conflict.
Thus, the RSF have considered that this refusal “recalls the radical policies of the old authoritarian regime, which plunged our country into 30 years of darkness and isolation, subjected our people to terror and corruption, and gave rise to systematic sanctions that negatively affected all aspects of life in Sudan.”
According to the letter, for the RSF, the Army is determined to “prolong this war”, alleging that the evidence is the boycott of the summit and the continuous indiscriminate attacks against residential neighborhoods in the capital, Khartoum, as well as its role in fueling “ethnic and tribal tensions, promoting hate speech and involving the state in war.”
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry confirmed the arrival of the government delegation in Addis Ababa, indicating that the boycott is due to the presence of Kenya at the meeting, since the Sudanese military leader, Abdelfatá al Burhan, considers that the Kenyan president, William Ruto is not impartial in the conflict, accusing him of concealing economic interests in the country.
The IGAD, which convened this summit of four between Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and South Sudan, has published a statement in which it has indicated that it “takes note of the regrettable absence of the Sudanese Army delegation despite the invitation and confirmation of assistance”, and has expressed concern about the escalation of the conflict, the repeated violations of the various ceasefire agreements and the spread of violence outside Khartoum.
Likewise, it has indicated that there is no military solution to the conflict, which is why it has decided to concentrate the efforts of all interested parties to achieve a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the opposing parties. However, he has asked the East African Standby Force (EASF) to consider deployment for the protection of civilians and to ensure humanitarian access.
On the other hand, he has recognized the “continuous efforts of the United Nations and regional and international partners, including the United States and Saudi Arabia. He has also thanked Sudan’s neighboring countries for opening their borders to provide protection to the Sudanese, although he has expressed their concern about the impact of the war on the displaced.
On the occasion of this statement, Washington has congratulated the IGAD leaders for holding the summit and inviting the partners. The US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, has stressed that the military parties must find a negotiated solution to the crisis: “The sooner they do so, the less damage to the country and the suffering of the Sudanese people will be.”
“Calls by some voices within the military parties and other actors to reject any negotiated solution to the conflict and continue fighting are irresponsible and inconsistent with the desire of Sudanese civilians to silence the guns,” Godfrey said, reiterating that ” It is clear that a military victory by any of the belligerents in the conflict would entail an unacceptable human cost.”
For his part, the spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, when asked at a press conference about the situation in Sudan, indicated that this meeting “continues to send the message to the warring parties (…) that the world is watching.”
“The United States and our regional partners are united in calling on the parties to immediately end the fighting,” he declared, noting that they are “undertaking diplomatic efforts” and are “imposing measures that hold the parties accountable at all times.” and when appropriate.”
The conflict that broke out on April 15 has so far left more than 1,100 dead, according to the Sudanese Ministry of Health, but the real figures could be much higher considering the inter-communal violence unleashed in the Kordofan and Darfur regions.
In addition, more than 2.9 million people have been displaced, including nearly 700,000 who have fled to neighboring countries, according to data released last week by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), amid reports of daily atrocities and sexual abuse of on a large scale against the women and girls of the country.
