Sudan war: African Union Peace and Security Council to muster emergency summit
A meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa (File photo: AU)
At its 1218th meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Friday, the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) proposed for an extraordinary summit to be convened to consider the situation in Sudan, and emphasised the need to ensure the protection of civilians in Sudan, calling on the AU Commission, in coordination with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), to investigate and make recommendations on practical measures to be undertaken for the protection of civilians.
In a communiqué following the meeting on Friday, chaired by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, with the participation of AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chair of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan Mohamed Ibn Chambas, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, and Executive Secretary of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, “strongly condemns the ongoing war in Sudan and its adverse impact on the Sudanese people and the Region; and its attendant violations of human rights, international human rights law and international humanitarian law.”
‘The PSC demands that the warring parties immediately stop the fighting and prioritise the interests of Sudan and its people…’
The PSC demands that the warring parties, namely the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), immediately stop the fighting and prioritise the interests of Sudan and its people, and calls upon SAF commander and chairperson of the Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, “to meet under the auspices of AU and IGAD and without further delay.”
The council also “expresses grave concern over the unprecedented catastrophic humanitarian situation, indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians, and wanton destruction of infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, water purification and electricity generation plants, as well as the facilities of diplomatic missions, in clear violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
‘There is no viable and sustainable military solution to the conflict…’
The council statement acknowledges and asserts that “there is no viable and sustainable military solution to the conflict, and only a genuine inclusive dialogue can lead to a sustainable solution to the current situation.”
The council further “denounces, in the strongest terms possible, the alleged rampant commission of atrocity crimes as a result of the conflict.
In conclusion, the council proposes the convening of an extraordinary summit of the AU to consider the situation in Sudan and, in this regard, requests the AU Commission, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Union, to consult on the date and venue of the aforementioned extraordinary summit.
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