The African Union (AU) has condemned the recent violent attack on Port Sudan, a strategic city and one of the few relatively stable zones in Sudan amid ongoing conflict.
The attack by the Rapid Support Forces, represents a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict and a direct threat to the lives of civilians, humanitarian access, and regional stability, the continental bloc said over the weekend in a statement.
It said the African Union reiterates its firm commitment to the protection of civilians, and strongly denounces all acts that undermine peace efforts, disrupt humanitarian operations, or target vital infrastructure.
‘Port Sudan has played a critical role as a logistical and humanitarian hub amid the current conflict. Any aggression targeting it not only threatens the safety of civilians but also undermines ongoing efforts to stabilise the country,” the union said.
The AU has made urgent call for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue under African leadership.
It urges all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Tension has risen in South Sudan, after the arrest of Vice-President Riek Machar in March, sparking concerns that the world’s youngest nation is heading for another civil war.
His party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has said that his house arrest “effectively brings… to a collapse” the fragile 2018 peace agreement that ended five years of fighting.
The current crisis came when the White Army militia, which was allied to Machar during the civil war, clashed with the army in Upper Nile state and overran a military base in Nasir.
Nearly two months later, Machar and several of his associates were arrested. They were accused of trying to stir up a rebellion.
MG/as/APA