US, Egypt put forward initiatives aimed at peaceful resolution of Sudan conflict

A slew of new peace initiatives have been put forward to end the armed conflict in Sudan, including by the United States and Egypt.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tuesday (28 May) held a phone call with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to find ways to “urgently end the conflict in Sudan and enable unhindered humanitarian access, including cross border and cross line, to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people,” Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. The two top officials also stressed the need to bring all sides to the negotiating table within the Jeddah platform and the need to protect civilians and deescalate hostilities in El-Fasher, North Darfur.

Meanwhile, Egypt has announced its plan to host a conference in June that will bring together various Sudanese civilian political groups aiming to reach a consensus on ways to build comprehensive and lasting peace in the north-east African country through a national dialogue based on a purely Sudanese vision, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Held with the participation of relevant regional and international partners, the conference is based on a firm belief that the current conflict is primarily a Sudanese issue, and that any future political process should include all active national parties, and within the framework of respecting the principles of the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, non-interference.