Troika, EU call on Sudan govt. and Darfur armed movements to show restraint

The Sudan Troika (USA, United Kingdom, Norway) and the resident European Union (EU) Embassies in Khartoum are “deeply concerned about reports of renewed fighting in Darfur”.

They and have called on the Government of Sudan and Darfur armed movements to show restraint and return to negotiations on cessation of hostilities.

In a joint statement from Khartoum today, the USA, UK, and Norway, joined by the Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden, “express deep concern about reports of renewed fighting in Darfur between the Government of Sudan and Darfuri armed movements led by the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), which began on May 20 after a reinforcement from outside Darfur by the armed opposition elements. These new incidents of violence underscore the urgent need for the parties to finalise a negotiated cessation of hostilities and an agreement to return to political negotiations leading to a sustainable peace.”

“The Embassies of the Troika and the EU urge all parties to cooperate fully with the UN-AU Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) as it seeks to carry out its monitoring and protection of civilians mandate. We encourage UNAMID to take an active role in accessing the areas where fighting has been reported in order to verify and assess the extent of the violence and its impact on civilian populations. All parties to the conflict should ensure safe and unhindered access to humanitarian organizations in order to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to population in need.

“There is no military solution to Sudan’s conflicts, which have only resulted in devastation for civilian populations. We call on all parties to show restraint, cease all military actions, return to the unilaterally proclaimed ceasefires and finalize as soon as possible a joint cessation of hostilities agreement. All parties should respect International Humanitarian Law in particular by ensuring humane treatment of prisoners of war and avoiding any retribution against civilians.

“To this end, we call on the Government and Opposition Movements to actively seek a political compromise and encourage the Government of Sudan to continue demonstrating readiness to compromise in negotiations. This should allow for a swift return to cessation of hostilities talks, including the safe return of opposition groups outside of Sudan, and entry into a broader and inclusive peace process under the auspices of the AU High-level Implementation Panel’s Roadmap Agreement,” the joint statement concludes.