NDN Staffer
PRETORIA, April 22 — President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and Namibian President Hage Geingob have called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan following the ongoing conflict between the military and the Rapid Support Forces. The two leaders met in Pretoria to discuss regional, continental and global affairs, and both expressed their concern about the situation in Sudan.
President Ramaphosa emphasized the urgency of the situation and referred to the conflict as “the most unnecessary” conflict. He called for an immediate ceasefire to be implemented to put an end to the violence and for negotiations to take place between the conflicting parties. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) and the African Union (AU) was urged to take the lead in the matter to ensure the safety of life.
Geingob emphasized the importance of diplomacy and dialogue, stating that war is often the result of a failure of both. He called on both sides of the conflict to talk to each other, as outsiders can only facilitate the process.
The conflict between the military and the Rapid Support Forces began after a 2021 military coup, with the two groups competing for power as political factions negotiate the formation of a transitional government. Analysts have noted that the Rapid Support Forces are 100,000 strong, and the situation has been described as potentially leading to a civil war if a ceasefire is not implemented.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki also made an appeal to the Sudanese military rivals to end the “unacceptable violent conflict” this week. He called on Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to immediately end the fighting, which is causing negative consequences for the civilian population.
The call for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations from both current and former African leaders is crucial to resolving the conflict in Sudan. As Geingob stated, it takes both warring factions to hold each other’s hands, and the call for dialogue and diplomacy is necessary to end the violence and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. – Namibia Daily News
