The call for an end to hostilities in Sudan has taken an impressive turn, with the United Nations (UN) at the center of a renewed desire to bring the crisis to an end. The African Union (AU) led the charge to bring the UN to discuss how a ceasefire can be advanced following the failure of the first attempt at suing for peace.
To this effect, earlier on Thursday, April 20, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the leaders from the Arab League, the African Union (AU), the East African regional bloc IGAD, and many other organizations held a virtual meeting to discuss the issues in Sudan.
At the meeting, Guterres appealed for the belligerents in Sudan to observe a ceasefire for at least three days so as to enable a large civilian population trapped in conflict zones across Sudan to seek medical treatment, food, and other essential supplies.
The UN appeal is coming at a holy month, the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which mark the end of Ramadan, and at a time when a 24-hour ceasefire between the RSF and SFA forces seems to have been obeyed by the rival groups.
Clashes between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are at odds over the return to civilian rule, have led to the deaths of more than 300 people, with thousands more injured and displaced.
The extent to which the UN’s participation in seeking a ceasefire, along with that of other organizations, will help Khartoum, which has been devastated by conflict, remains to be seen.
