African Union President: The war in Sudan affects the entire continent and there is no room for victory for one of its parties

Azali Othmani, President of the Comoros and current Chairman of the African Union, said that the war in Sudan is dangerous because it will affect the entire continent of Africa, adding that the parties to the conflict must know that there is no winner in this war, whatever the results, and that it must be stopped.

In an interview with the episode (2023/5/26) of the Special Meeting program, Othmani revealed that contacts are taking place with the two parties to the conflict (President of the Sovereignty Council and Army Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and Rapid Support Forces Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo "Hemedti"), to work to convince them to communicate and negotiate directly, and we hope to reach a result.

He added that everyone is aware that no one can win this battle, even if it stops, there are repercussions that confirm this, noting that the African Union is working to play its role by supporting dialogue, and that it is important to reach real results.

He pointed out that the emergency meeting, which was called at the level of the African Peace and Security Council countries, will discuss many initiatives, and the Bureau of the Union Council, in turn, will work to coordinate these initiatives, pointing out that the lifting of sanctions on Sudan can be studied, which, if it happens, would lead to positive results.

On the position of the Union on the Saudi-American efforts, which culminated in a meeting of representatives of the parties to the conflict in Jeddah, Othmani stressed that the Union supports any initiative that works to resolve the crisis, and cannot obstruct any path to contribute to defusing the war, and pointed to his contact with the US Secretary of State, in which he welcomed those efforts.

Economic Freedom

Speaking about the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Union, the current President of the Union believes that he has succeeded in achieving many goals, but there is still much to be done, pointing out in this context that the most important endeavor during the next stage is to achieve economic freedom for the countries of the continent, and develop the space for joint exchange between the continent and friendly countries.

He pointed out that Africa faces many challenges, including internal conflicts and the phenomenon of illegal immigration, and considered that the establishment of a free trade area on the continent can contribute to its stability and security, and will contribute to achieving comprehensive economic, social and cultural progress in the continent, which serves the interest of all its inhabitants.

Osmani pointed out that the continent has vast natural resources that can be exploited in cooperation with other countries, pointing out that the current goal of the continent is to achieve self-sufficiency in the fields of food and health, and stressed the importance of providing job opportunities for African youth and cooperation in the field of education and development.

On the expansion of the circle of security crises and wars in the continent, the President of the Union said that Africa is no exception to what is happening in the world, as even Europe is witnessing a major war that no one could have imagined would occur in the 21st century, which is also happening in other continents.

Active international participation

He pointed to his participation in the recent summit of the Group of Seven, and the African Union's efforts to join the Group of Twenty, so that it becomes a key member after being an observer member, noting his hope that this will be adopted by the group during the next meeting to be held in India next November.

Regarding efforts to join the UN Security Council, Osmani said that they are not the only ones seeking it, expressing his hope that applications for accession will be considered, and the continent's desire to obtain permanent seats ranging from two to three seats.

The Chairperson of the African Union stresses the importance of Africa's voice being heard in international institutions, as the continent plays an active role on the ground, and these institutions are the ones that take decisive and important decisions, and therefore the Union must obtain a strong and effective presence in them.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, Othmani pointed to the Union's support for the two-state solution, and his country's criticism of the violations and abuses of the occupation against the Palestinians, noting that the next meeting of the United Nations is expected to discuss developments and developments in the Palestinian crisis.