Nigeria, South Africa condemn Sudan crisis, call for immediate ceasefire

Nigeria, South Africa condemn Sudan crisis, call for immediate ceasefire

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja 

Nigeria and South Africa have jointly condemned the ongoing conflict in Sudan, called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the crisis.

This was revealed in a joint statement by the two countries, signed by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

The resolution was reached on Friday, after a meeting between Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council in Accra.

According to the statement, the two Ministers reaffirmed the strong historical bilateral relations and bonds of friendship and solidarity between Nigeria and South Africa, and committed to expanding and deepening cooperation in various sectors. They also undertook to finalize preparations for the upcoming session of the Bi-National Commission, scheduled to take place in South Africa.

The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and continental matters, including peace and security on the African continent. 

They expressed grave concern at the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has resulted in the loss of innocent civilian lives, exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, displaced millions of people, affected women and children, and led to the destruction of critical infrastructure.

The statement called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the conflict, as well as expedited access to humanitarian assistance. 

Both countries urged the international community to take urgent concrete and practical steps towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan in an inclusive manner.

The joint statement partly reads: “We call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the conflict and the commencement of a process to expedite access to humanitarian assistance. To this end, we call on the international community to take urgent concrete and practical steps that will facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan in an inclusive manner.”

The civil war between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the Janjaweed leader Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023.

Almost 15,000 people have lost their lives to the crisis, and more than 8.2 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world. Nearly 2 million displaced Sudanese have fled to unstable areas in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, overrunning refugee camps and prompting concerns that Sudanese refugees could soon attempt to enter Europe. 

The  United Nations (UN) continues to plead for more support as more than 25 million need humanitarian assistance, and deteriorating food security risks are triggering the “world’s largest hunger crisis.” 

The international community has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but so far, a lasting solution has not been found.