ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday said it welcomed and supported Saudi Arabia’s efforts for peace in Sudan, as a conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) there has created a humanitarian crisis in Africa's third-largest nation by area.
Brutal fighting ignited mid-April across the country as a result of a power struggle between the military’s head Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the RSF.
Now Sudanese are pinning their hopes on talks in Saudi Arabia between envoys of warring factions to end bloodshed that has killed hundreds and triggered a mass exodus.
“Pakistan welcomes and supports the efforts of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to facilitate the pre-negotiation talks in Jeddah between the representatives of Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces geared to reaching a short-term ceasefire agreement and subsequent delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
“Pakistan reiterates its principled support for a political solution to the Sudan situation through dialogue and consultation.”
There has been no word so far on the progress of the talks which began on Saturday between the army and the RSF in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah. The combatants have said they would try to tackle only a ceasefire and humanitarian issues like safe passage.
Numerous ceasefires have been violated since conflict erupted on April 15.
The US-Saudi initiative is the first serious attempt to end fighting that has turned parts of Khartoum into war zones, stymied an internationally backed plan to usher in civilian rule after years of unrest, and touched off a humanitarian crisis.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said "pre-negotiation" talks were "in the expectation of reaching an effective short-term ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian assistance."
The US State Department said it believed the sides had also discussed protecting civilians.
