(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) The signing of a humanitarian declaration of principles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Saudi city of Jeddah was regionally and internationally welcomed amid hopes that the talks will end with the cessation of hostilities between the two sides and the resumption of the Political process in Sudan.
Egypt welcomed the signing of the Jeddah declaration as an important step that contributes to providing protection to civilians of the brotherly Sudanese people, providing access to humanitarian and relief assistance, preserving public facilities and facilitating evacuation operations.
It expressed its hope that the commitments agreed upon will be adhered to and that this step will allow the parties to the conflict, with the help of mediators and regional and international partners, to reach a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire and resume dialogue.
This will contribute to extricating Sudan from its plight and restoring the brotherly Sudanese people's right to enjoy peace, security and stability.
Egypt praised the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia and the US in encouraging the Sudanese parties to participate in the round of talks, which emphasizes the importance and feasibility of joining all efforts to end the current crisis in Sudan as soon as possible.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated on Friday that the declaration of Principles signed by representatives of the Sudanese army and the RSF in Jeddah is the first step that will be followed by other steps.
The Saudi Foreign Minister added that” the most important thing is to abide by what has been agreed,“stressing that the kingdom” will work until security and stability return to Sudan and its people.
For his part, the UN Special Representative to Sudan Volker Peretz considered that the agreement on the protection of civilians is an“important first step”, pointing out that he“does not intend to leave Sudan”, amid protests against his presence.
“One of the parties in Sudan informed me that they intend to stay and continue the ceasefire talks,” Peretz said.
“We expect that talks on a ceasefire in Sudan will resume in the coming days.
The UN official continued:“The non-compliance with the ceasefires in Sudan so far is due to the belief of each side that it can win,” but” both parties to the conflict in Sudan have now realized that victory will not come quickly.”
Similarly, the tripartite mechanism, consisting of the UN, the African Union(AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), welcomed the signing of the Jeddah declaration, also noting that it represents” an important first step towards alleviating human suffering and protecting the life and dignity of civilians in Sudan.
In a statement, the trilateral mechanism urged the parties to“immediately make every effort to translate these commitments into meaningful actions on the ground..“
It expressed her readiness to support the parties and the advocates of the talks for the full implementation of the declaration of commitment to protecting civilians in Sudan.
It also stressed the importance of continued and coordinated support from the wider international community during this critical time.
The trilateral mechanism urged the parties to continue to engage in the process constructively and in good faith to build on what has been achieved and eventually reach a permanent cessation of hostilities through a strong monitoring and verification mechanism.
The European Union (EU) has praised the efforts made by Saudi Arabia and the US in signing the“Jeddah declaration” by the parties to the conflict in Sudan, which stipulates their commitment to the protection of civilians three weeks after the conflict that claimed the lives of about 600 civilians, including 190 children.
The EU said that the protection of civilians and safe access to humanitarian assistance are already legally binding obligations and have been since the beginning of the conflict. The value of the declaration will depend entirely on whether it will be respected by the parties and through it the situation on the ground will be changed.EU stated that while all efforts to stop the fighting are welcomed, a sustainable ceasefire, not a timetable for it, is an urgent and overdue necessity.
The EU stressed its keenness to continue working with international and regional partners through a unified mediation platform that can achieve a ceasefire and a return to civilian rule, which the people of Sudan have been demanding since 2019.