G7 FMs, EU urge parties to Sudan conflict to engage in 'serious negotiations'
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union have urged all parties to the conflict in Sudan to engage in “serious negotiations” aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire, humanitarian access and protection of civilians without pre-conditions.
In a statement released by the US State Department noted that a year and a half into the fighting, Sudan’s civil war has taken a devastating toll on human lives and vital infrastructure.
“We reiterate our firm condemnation of ongoing attacks, including indiscriminate and direct targeting of civilians by both parties, which is causing massive displacement of people throughout the region, and worsening an already dreadful humanitarian situation,” they said.
The foreign ministers called for an immediate end to violence, noting especially the impact of the crisis on women and girls.
They also condemned the atrocities being committed by both sides, including kidnapping and sexual violence.
“All external actors must stop fueling the conflict, in line with the commitments made in the Declaration of Principles adopted at the Paris Conference, and respect the UN arms embargo on Darfur.”
The foreign ministers urged the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias to comply with International Humanitarian Law, protecting civilians and facilitating rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access both into Sudan and across lines of conflict.
They noted with grave concern that the UN Fact Finding Mission has found reasonable grounds to believe that RSF and allied militias have “committed crimes against humanity, including persecution on the basis of ethnicity and forcible displacement of the population”, and that Sudanese Armed Forces have committed “war crimes of violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture”.
The foreign ministers urged the warring parties to implement their Jeddah Declaration commitments. They also called for the establishment of a robust and transparent monitoring and verification mechanism for the protection of civilians.
-0- PANA MA 26Nov2024
