Britain Hosts Peace Talks in Sudan

A high-level international conference has begun in London, England, with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the Sudanese conflict.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has described the talks as “a path towards peace.”

The civil war that has gripped Sudan for the past two years has led to what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The UK, through this meeting, has pledged an additional £120 million (approximately $159 million) in aid for food and healthcare.

Aid agencies have reported that about 30 million people are in urgent need of assistance, with millions facing severe hunger due to the effects of the war.

“Many people have given up hope about Sudan – this is a moral wrong. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the suffering of innocent civilians; civilians are being beheaded, infants are being raped, and more people are facing hunger than anywhere else in the world,” said David Lammy at the opening of the conference on Tuesday.

Since the start of the war on April 15, 2023, more than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes, with tens of thousands reportedly killed.

Reports of sexual violence have spread across the country, and genocide has been reported in the Darfur region.

The ministerial meeting is being co-chaired by the United Kingdom, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU), with the aim of strengthening international solidarity in providing humanitarian assistance and initiating a political process that will lead to a lasting solution.

However, the warring parties – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF Militia – have not been directly invited.

Instead, they are represented by their regional allies, some of whom are accused by diplomats of fueling the conflict.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), for example, is alleged to have supported the RSF group with weapons, a claim that has been strongly denied.

The Kenyan government is also participating in this meeting despite being accused of supporting RSF.

President William Ruto hosted RSF leaders earlier this year in Nairobi, where they announced a plan to form an alternative government for Sudan.

However, Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, said the meeting was for internal negotiations and not the formation of an alternative government.

“Kenya has never participated in efforts to form a parallel or alternative government in any country. Kenya supports one Sudan,” he stressed.

Mudavadi added that Kenya is a center of mediation and that it has not taken any side in the conflict.

He also explained that Kenya has previously hosted General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader, as part of its mediation efforts.

This conflict began as a power struggle between the leaders of the SAF and RSF over the political future of the nation.

The African Union envoy, Bankole Adeoye, speaking in London, stressed that, “There is no military solution possible in Sudan. What is needed now is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, followed by an inclusive national dialogue.” “The Sudanese people are the ones who bear the brunt of this senseless war.

“The African Union calls on all parties to cease hostilities,” he added.

“The AU will not accept the partition of the Sudanese nation.”

By: BBC