Sudan’s stability and unity of lands as well as the coherence of its institutionswill have a positive effect not only on the Sudanese people, but also on the entire region, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said.
Sisi made the remarks in a speech delivered via videoconferencing before a meeting of the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) on Saturday, to discuss the latest developments in the strife-torn country.
“Egypt appreciates the efforts exerted by the AU Commission under AUC Chairman Moussa Faki to address the Sudanese crisis, prominent among which was the expanded meeting held at the ministerial level on April 20, which led to the formulation of a mechanism involving all stakeholders, including Egypt,” Sisi added during the meeting, held at the level of heads of state and government.
“Our meeting today seeks to adopt a de-escalation plan made in coordination with neighboring states, which would be a significant step towards stability and internal rapprochement, and an end to the bloody conflict in Sudan,” Sisi said.
He noted the efforts pursued by the AU complement other efforts made by other relevant entities, such as the Arab League, which has adopted during a recent summit an Arab liaison group to deal with the crisis of Sudan.
Sisi also highlighted the efforts made on that score by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade bloc in Eastern Africa, the agreements signed during the negotiations between Sudan’s Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, hosted by Jeddah earlier this month.
These agreements oblige the warring factions in Sudan to stop fighting, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and withdraw all troops from hospitals, and public facilities, Sisi pointed out.
He emphasized the critical importance of close coordination between neighboring states, which are most impacted by the crisis and, therefore, are the most keen on reaching a final settlement t to it as soon as possible.
As a key neighboring state, Egypt has lived up to its responsibilities towards Sudan by intensifying communication with all active players, as well as regional and international partners to end the crisis in Sudan, President Sisi said.
He added that Egypt had received nearly 150,000 Sudanese citizens since the outbreak of violence last month, not to mention the approximately five million Sudanese already living in Egypt with no discrimination between them and their Egyptian brethren.
Sisi called on relief agencies and donor states to provide support to neighboring countries to help them maintain their role in this regard.
He further stressed that the conflict in Sudan is a domestic problem that concerns only the people of Sudan.
As regional partners, our role is to help them put an end to this conflict and reach an agreement on how to address its underlying causes, Sisi said, reiterating Egypt’s respect for the political will of the Sudanese people and non-interference into their domestic affairs.
Sisi also underscored the need to fighting off all foreign interference into the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
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