Nigeria, South Africa Urge Ceasefire On Conflict In Sudan

Nigeria and South Africa have expressed concerns over the ongoing brutal war in Sudan and called for a ceasefire to halt the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country, especially as the two countries prepare to host another session of their Bi-National Commission in South Africa.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar and Mr. Ronald Lamola, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa said this after their meeting on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council in Accra on Friday.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Nigerian Minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir,  lamented  that the war in Sudan has led to massive  loss of innocent civilian lives, exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, displaced millions of people, affecting women and children, and led to the total destruction of critical infrastructure.

The Ministers reiterated a call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the conflict and the commencement of a process to expedite access to humanitarian assistance.

To this end, both nations called on the international community to take urgent concrete and practical steps that will “facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan in an inclusive manner.”

A civil war between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Dagalo broke out on 15 April 2023. This war seems to have so far defied all efforts to end it.

In another development, the two Ministers also reaffirmed the existing strong historical bilateral relations and bonds of friendship and solidarity between South Africa and Nigeria and committed to redouble their efforts to expand and deepen cooperation in between the two countries in various sectors.

In this regard, the Ministers undertook to finalise preparations for the upcoming session of the Bi-National commission, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa, the statement said.

The Ministers further exchanged views on regional and continental matters including peace and security on the African continent, the statement added.