Parties ‘must respect the 72-hour cease-fire’ and ‘come together to establish a permanent cessation of hostilities,’ says Antonio Guterres
WASHINGTON
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday on Security Council members and other UN member states as well as regional organizations with influence to press the parties to the conflict in Sudan to de-escalate tensions and “return to the negotiating table” immediately.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Guterres said “the parties to the conflict must respect the 72-hour cease-fire brokered by the United States and come together to establish a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
He said it is “incumbent” on the leaders of Sudan to “put the interests of their people front and center.”
“This conflict will not, and must not, be resolved on the battlefield — with the bodies of Sudan’s people,” he said, “The Sudanese people have made their wishes very clear. They want peace and the restoration of civilian rule through the transition to democracy.”
Guterres said the past 10 days of violence and chaos have been “heartbreaking,” adding a “prolonged, full-scale war is unbearable to contemplate.”
Noting that Sudan borders seven countries, all of which have seen conflicts and civil unrest, he said “it is a gateway to the Sahel, where insecurity and political instability are making an already catastrophic humanitarian situation even worse.”
“The power struggle in Sudan is not only putting that country’s future at risk. It is lighting a fuse that could detonate across borders, causing immense suffering for years and setting development back for decades,” Guterres said.
He said the “fighting must stop immediately,” stressing the need for “an all-out effort for peace.”
“I call on the parties to the conflict, on Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo ‘Hemedti,’ and the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to silence the guns.”
In the wake of the conflict that broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, the US announced Monday that the warring parties have agreed to observe a three-day cease-fire to halt escalating violence in the North African nation.
Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, said the “temporary cease-fire so far seems to be holding in some parts,” adding that “reports of sporadic shooting are still coming in as well as reports of relocation of troops.”
“The Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have accused each other of violating the cease-fire,” he said.
As of Tuesday morning, at least 427 people have been killed and more than 3,700 have been injured in Sudan, according to Perthes.
Perthes said that nearly 1,200 people, including 744 United Nations staff and their dependents, NGO staff and their dependents, and diplomatic staff from several embassies were relocated to Port Sudan from the capital Khartoum.
“Both of the warring parties have fought with disregard for the laws and norms of war, indiscriminately attacking densely populated areas, hospitals, shops and civilian cars transferring the sick, the wounded and the elderly,” he said, adding that these abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
“I urge both sides to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Civilians must be given safe passage to leave areas of active hostilities and access supplies,” he added.
