JUBA – Sudan's anti-war bloc has called for urgent ceasefire and peace talks amidst escalating deadly conflict in Sudan.
The plea came after the delegation representing Sudan’s prominent civilian opposition group, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), concluded their two-day consultative meeting on Sudan’s ongoing conflict in Juba capital of South Sudan’s capital, with an immediate appeal for an ending the violence in restive Sudan.
The team led by Omar El Deger also the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) discussed with President Salva Kiir, to step up efforts to end the Sudanese crisis.
In their issued communique on Thursday, the anti-war bloc called for an urgent ceasefire in Sudan and the initiation of peace talks to resolve the violence.
"We agreed on the necessity of an immediate end to the war in Sudan by addressing the root causes of the crisis and the reason that led to its outbreak," said in the communique, read to media by Ramadan Abdullah Goc, South Sudan’s deputy foreign minister.
The group urged Sudanese factions to unite, rejecting any actions that might lead to fragmentation or prolonged internal conflict.
"To preserve the unity of Sudan and its sovereignty over its land and resources, rejecting anything that leads to the fragmentation of Sudan or prolongs the war or turns it into a civil war," the communique said.
The group advocated for the comprehensive delivery of aid and assistance to affected Sudanese populations across the country.
It also acknowledged South Sudan’s pivotal role in mediating a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The communique said,d “We believe that South Sudan’s experience and understanding of the situation in Sudan make it uniquely positioned to help bring peace to our country.”
South Sudan is hosting more than 380, 000 returnees including Sudanese refugees who fled fighting since April, between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The group agreed to harmonize all the various mediation initiatives to complement the Jeddah, IGAD, and AU, including neighboring, regional and global initiatives.
The committee is headed by Kenya and deputized by South Sudan, with Ethiopia and Somalia tasked to mediate the Sudan crisis. But Sudan's government headed by Gen. Al-Burhan rejected Kenyans' spearheading talks.
According to the United Nations, the ongoing conflict claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions, and devastated vital infrastructure in Sudan.
