ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirmed its support for Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on Friday as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Sudan’s visiting interior minister in Islamabad amid growing concerns that a civil war and the establishment of a rival administration could permanently divide the African nation.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023 between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which control much of the western Darfur region and have established a parallel government there. The move has raised fears of the country’s partition, with the United Nations Security Council and African Union rejecting the rival administration.

“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 held a meeting with the Federal Minister of Interior of the Republic of Sudan, H.E. Mr. Babeker Samra Mustafa Ali, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a social media post on X.

“The DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,” it added.

Dar also emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening relations with Sudan, while the visiting minister thanked Islamabad for its support and solidarity and expressed his government’s desire to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest, the statement said.

The Sudanese minister represents the internationally recognized, army-aligned government headed by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, whose forces have been fighting the RSF for more than three years.

The conflict has displaced more than 14 million people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Sudan’s army controls the capital Khartoum and much of the country’s northern, eastern and central regions, while the RSF holds most of Darfur and substantial territory in neighboring Kordofan.

Earlier this week, the African Union Peace and Security Council and members of the UN Security Council reiterated their rejection of the parallel administration, warning that unilateral steps undermining Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity risked further fragmenting the country.

The visiting minister met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, when the Pakistani leader expressed hope that Sudan would emerge from its crisis as a peaceful and stable country and called for stronger bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, defense and education.

Pakistan has also provided humanitarian and medical assistance to Sudan, according to an official statement issued after Thursday’s meeting.