Cairo: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has stressed the necessity of reaching a comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire in Sudan which has been going through an internal armed conflict since mid-April.
Sisi made the remarks during a virtual meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) held to discuss the developments of the Sudanese crisis, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the Egyptian presidency.
Addressing the PSC gathering, the Egyptian President underlined “the need for a comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire that is not limited to humanitarian purposes”.
Armed clashes have been going on between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15, leaving so far about 865 civilians dead and 3,634 others wounded, according to the latest data from the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate.
A week-long cease-fire between the Sudanese warring parties was reached on May 20 in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, but sporadic clashes have continued in the capital of Khartoum in the past few days. None of the previous truces, likewise, was truly observed by the two sides.
The Egyptian president noted that Egypt has received so far 150,000 Sudanese citizens fleeing the ongoing conflict, besides already hosting five million Sudanese.
“I call on relief agencies and donor countries to provide the necessary support to (Sudan’s) neighboring countries in order to continue undertaking this role,” Sisi said.
(IANS)
