34M in Need: Sudan Peace Push Gains Pace in Geneva
(MENAFN) Diplomatic activity aimed at ending Sudan’s civil war is picking up even as fighting continues, the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for the country said Wednesday, pointing to new confidence-building initiatives.
“We also are witnessing more diplomatic efforts than earlier around Sudan,” Pekka Haavisto told reporters in Geneva after the sixth consultative meeting on Sudan, co-hosted by the UN and Switzerland.
Asked by a news agency to name concrete gains since earlier meetings, Haavisto cited deeper international engagement with Sudanese political actors. He described a “successful” trip to Khartoum in September, along with meetings with political groups and with women and youth representatives.
He cautioned, however, that some parties inside Sudan still believe they can win on the battlefield.
“We, the international community, are saying that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan,” he said, underscoring the need for negotiations.
The UN has begun exploring two confidence-building steps, Haavisto said. The first is a possible exchange of prisoners of war and detainees, both civilians and soldiers. The second would help students sit examinations wherever they live. He characterized both as “baby steps” set against the scale of destruction the war has caused.
Coordination among key players deepens
The two-day Geneva meeting gathered representatives of 21 countries and five international institutions to address security arrangements, humanitarian truces, potential ceasefires and political solutions.
Haavisto pointed to tighter coordination between the Quad, made up of the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and the Quintet, which comprises the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, the EU and the UN. He called the closer alignment “maybe the most important fact.”
Talks sought to link security negotiations with political planning for the period after a possible ceasefire, he said.
Swiss Ambassador Tim Enderlin, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s peace and human rights division, likewise called for coordinated international action and an inclusive, Sudanese-led peace process.
“We tried these two days to come up with coordinated efforts that will help to establish a peace process that can be inclusive, that involves the people of Sudan, where their voices are heard,” Enderlin said.
The goal, he said, is a process that “in the end, is Sudan-owned and Sudan-led.”
Enderlin warned that the war’s consequences reach beyond Sudan’s borders into neighboring countries. He said 34 million people in Sudan rely on humanitarian assistance, describing the country as facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
“We also are witnessing more diplomatic efforts than earlier around Sudan,” Pekka Haavisto told reporters in Geneva after the sixth consultative meeting on Sudan, co-hosted by the UN and Switzerland.
Asked by a news agency to name concrete gains since earlier meetings, Haavisto cited deeper international engagement with Sudanese political actors. He described a “successful” trip to Khartoum in September, along with meetings with political groups and with women and youth representatives.
He cautioned, however, that some parties inside Sudan still believe they can win on the battlefield.
“We, the international community, are saying that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan,” he said, underscoring the need for negotiations.
The UN has begun exploring two confidence-building steps, Haavisto said. The first is a possible exchange of prisoners of war and detainees, both civilians and soldiers. The second would help students sit examinations wherever they live. He characterized both as “baby steps” set against the scale of destruction the war has caused.
Coordination among key players deepens
The two-day Geneva meeting gathered representatives of 21 countries and five international institutions to address security arrangements, humanitarian truces, potential ceasefires and political solutions.
Haavisto pointed to tighter coordination between the Quad, made up of the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and the Quintet, which comprises the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, the EU and the UN. He called the closer alignment “maybe the most important fact.”
Talks sought to link security negotiations with political planning for the period after a possible ceasefire, he said.
Swiss Ambassador Tim Enderlin, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s peace and human rights division, likewise called for coordinated international action and an inclusive, Sudanese-led peace process.
“We tried these two days to come up with coordinated efforts that will help to establish a peace process that can be inclusive, that involves the people of Sudan, where their voices are heard,” Enderlin said.
The goal, he said, is a process that “in the end, is Sudan-owned and Sudan-led.”
Enderlin warned that the war’s consequences reach beyond Sudan’s borders into neighboring countries. He said 34 million people in Sudan rely on humanitarian assistance, describing the country as facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment