The leaders of seven states bordering Sudan met to discuss possible solutions to the crisis, amid UN reports on human rights violations in the country.
In a joint statement, the leaders of seven African countries have called on the warring parties in war-torn Sudan for a ceasefire and called on states in the region not to intervene in the conflict. This is reported on the website of the Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt, where a summit of the neighboring countries of Sudan was held on July 13. That same day, the UN reported the discovery of a mass grave in Darfur, indicating the killing of civilians.
According to the statement, the African countries participating in the meeting (Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Libya) recognized that the current conflict is “an internal matter of Sudan” and reiterated the need to “avoid fragment the country or plunge it into chaos” to prevent the spread of terrorism and crime.
States expressed their “grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan” and pledged to assist international efforts to address the humanitarian consequences of the crisis, including the situation of large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons.
In addition, the countries gathered at the summit condemned “the persistent attacks against civilians, health facilities and public services.” On the same day, the UN issued a press release announcing that a mass grave had been discovered in Darfur containing the remains of at least 87 people, including 7 women and 7 children, allegedly killed by the Rapid Support Forces of Sudan.
The High Commissioner of the Organization for Human Rights, Volker Türk, strongly condemned the killing of civilians and called on the parties to the conflict to authorize and facilitate a speedy search for the dead, in accordance with international law.
Armed clashes in Sudan between the regular Army and the Rapid Support Forces began in mid-April over disagreements over the inclusion of FAR fighters in the armed forces.