Sudan Finance Minister calls for Chad border crossing ‘to be closed today before tomorrow’

Sudan’s Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim has called for the immediate closure of the Adré border crossing with Chad, on the premise that “the route is used to supply the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)”. The Sudan government has agreed to open the airports of Kassala, Dongola, and El Obeid to humanitarian aid traffic, while the Commissioner-General for Humanitarian Aid, Salwa Adam Benya, has discussed the humanitarian situation in Sudan with the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, in New York.

“The West and its organisations have worked hard to open the Adré crossing for humanitarian purposes, so that it would turn into a main crossing to support the militia with lethal weapons,” Finance Minister and head of the Justice and Equality Movement, Gibril Ibrahim, said via his account on “X”, calling for the crossing to be closed “today before tomorrow”.

As reported elsewhere by Radio Dabanga today, the Sudanese government in Port Sudan prevented a United Nations delegation, headed by the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, from visiting South and East Darfur last week, and asked them to leave Sudanese territory.

In a separate statement on Saturday, Sudan’s Commissioner-General for Humanitarian Aid, Salwa Adam Benya, renewed the Sudanese government’s commitment to opening all sea, border and air crossings previously announced by Sudan for the delivery of humanitarian aid. She also briefed the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on the agreement reached between the government of Sudan and South Sudan to transport relief from Juba Airport to Kadugli Airport, in addition to opening the domestic airports that were named, calling on the United Nations and organisations working in the humanitarian field to commit to and fulfil their pledges. The Commissioner-General also discussed issues related to humanitarian affairs with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and some permanent representatives and missions to the United Nations

In Port Sudan, the Sudanese government confirmed its approval in a statement issued by the technical mechanism of the National Committee for Humanitarian Emergencies to open the airports of Kassala, Dongola, and El Obeid, in addition to Kadugli Airport.

The statement said that there are six airports available to international organisations in addition to seven land crossings that were previously approved.

The statement indicated that effective communication is taking place these days to start operating flights to transport humanitarian aid to South Kordofan from Juba Airport to Kadugli Airport.

The committee’s statement explained that the government has thus fulfilled all requirements for the entry and flow of humanitarian aid by air, land and sea.

The statement explained that all these decisions come from the government’s responsibility and determination to alleviate the suffering of citizens.