AU PSC delegation arrives in Port Sudan, US envoy tours the region
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - A large delegation of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) arrived in Sudan on Thursday as diplomatic efforts intensify to end the devastating war in the East African nation, the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.
This is as military confrontations rage in Khartoum and Darfur, western Sudan, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This is the first such visit by the PSC since the war erupted in Khartoum in April last year.
The delegation held a number of meetings with government officials on “ways to end the war" and understand the Sudanese government's reasons for freezing the country's membership of the AU, SUNA said.
The visit coincided with a tour by the US Special Envoy to the Sudan, Tom Perriello, of the region with the aim ending the conflict and finding ways to help millions of people affected by the strife, hunger and conflict related diseases.
The State Department said Mr. Perriello went to Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to continue diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and engage with Sudanese refugees and civilian leaders on restoring the path to an inclusive democratic future.
The PSC delegation, comprising ambassadors, heads of missions, and delegates of the 15 member states, upon arrival Port Sudan airport, engaged in talks with government officials and the Council of Ministers.
SUNA noted that the delegation arrived at a time all previous efforts made by the African Union to find a solution to the crisis and to carry out fair mediation to open a horizon for ending the war have failed.
A statement by the State Department said the United States stands with the Sudanese people and their aspirations for peace, freedom, and justice.
“We call for the SAF and RSF to end the violence, to remove all barriers to addressing humanitarian needs, famine conditions, and gender-based violence, and to respect the laws of war with regard to civilian protection,“ the State Department said.
But in the field, fighting has intensified, with the SAF moving from its previous defensive positions, to initiating attacks in Khartoum and in western Sudan’s Darfur region.
In Khartoum the SAF has for the first time crossed three bridges linking Um Dorman to Khartoum and Bahari that have been under RSF control. Sudanese top military leaders including the General Abdul Fatah Burhan and his deputy were seen in the last three days intermingling with troops in the fronts near engagement points with the RSF in Khartoum and Bahari.
-0- PANA MO/MA 3Oct2024
