APA-Pretoria (South Africa) South Africa says it will engage the warring parties in Sudan’s fighting with a view to getting them to come to a negotiated solution to the conflict that has claimed over 400 lives since April 15.
In a statement on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said the South African leader was concerned about the situation in Sudan, which it described as “a setback in Africa’s efforts to silence the guns and usher in a sustained period of peace, stability and development.”
It said as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council, South Africa is seized with the situation in Sudan where a vicious power struggle between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force has led to violence across the country..
According to the presidency, although South Africa supported the role played by the AU, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the East African Community in their mediation roles in Sudan, Pretoria would try to approach the warring parties separately.
“We will engage directly with the leaders of the armed forces in Sudan as part of our endeavours for peace in Sudan,” it said.
South Africa reiterated its appeal on the parties involved in the conflict to heed international calls for an immediate ceasefire as unarmed civilians, including visitors from many parts of the world, remained stranded and are fast running out of supplies.
The power struggle has resulted in heavy bombardment in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, with thousands more injured.
NM/jn/APA