United Nations, 4 Apr (ZXS) -- UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a speech at the UN Headquarters in New York on 17 April, once again calling on all parties to the Sudanese armed conflict to immediately cease hostilities.
On the same day, armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum, and other places entered the third day. The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Sudan Pertes issued a statement saying that all parties to the Sudanese armed conflict failed to fully comply with the humanitarian ceasefire previously reached on the 16th, and the local conflict intensified. Pertes said that as of the 17th, the conflict has killed at least 180 people, injured more than 1800,<>, looted and damaged some United Nations facilities, and some staff will have to be evacuated.
Speaking on Sudan in his remarks for the opening of the 2023 Financing for Development Forum, Guterres noted that the current situation in Sudan has taken a terrible toll in lives. Any further escalation of the situation could have devastating effects on the country and the region as a whole. He reiterated his call on the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and open dialogue to resolve the crisis. At the same time, he urged all those who had influence on the current situation in the Sudan to use their influence to the cause of peace in support of efforts to end violence, restore order and return to the transitional process.
The U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Griffiths, said the conflict was "a devastating setback" for the Sudanese people. Even before the conflict began, humanitarian needs in Sudan were at an all-time high – 1600 million people, representing one-third of the country's population, needed humanitarian assistance. As the conflict continues, civilian casualties, attacks on infrastructure and lack of access to water and food threaten to further exacerbate the country's fragility.
The U.N. refugee agency said it had not received any reports of Sudanese refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries due to the outbreak of the conflict, but was prepared to respond. UNHCR calls on all parties to protect civilians while guaranteeing the safety of humanitarian personnel so that critical assistance can be delivered.
Sudan's Rapid Support Force and armed forces were allies before co-sponsoring the October 2021 coup. After the coup, Dagallo, vice chairman of the Sovereign Council and commander of the Rapid Support Force, clashed with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Burhan, on a number of issues, including how the Rapid Support Force was integrated into government forces, which led to tensions between the Rapid Support Force and the military. On the 10th of this month, armed conflict broke out in Sudan, and Dagallo and Burhan accused each other of provoking the conflict.
On the 16th, the UN Secretariat said that Burhan and Dagallo agreed to the proposal of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Organization for Development (IGAD) and the United Nations Trilateral Mechanism and Pertes, and promised to implement a humanitarian ceasefire from 16:16 to 19:<> local time on the <>th. However, the exchange of fire did not stop. (End)