The High-Level Panel for Sudan under the auspices of African Union has concluded its first shuttle diplomacy mission with a call to the warring factions to ceasefire during this month of Ramadan.
The panel is chaired by H.E. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, and includes Dr Specioza Wandira-Kazibwe, former Vice President of Uganda, and Ambassador Francisco Madeira, former AU Special Representative of the Chairperson to Somalia.
On its first stop in Port Sudan, the panel engaged with senior officials of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, including General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan in addition to meeting other Sudanese stakeholders, including representatives of the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement, political parties, FFC-Democratic Bloc, women’s groups, the Humanitarian Commission, civil society, university vice-chancellors, the media, and others.
The Panel members according to a press statement, thereafter visited Cairo where they consulted with the League of Arab States and senior officials in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as with a wide cross-section of Sudanese political and civilian actors who are currently based in Egypt.
“While in Addis Ababa, the Panel engaged with representatives of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the civilian coalition, Taqadum” the statement from AU secretariat stated.
The panel was also in Djibouti where they met with the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and was also granted audience by H.E. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti who’s the current chair of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State.
“In all their consultations, the panel emphasized practical ways to end the devastating conflict in Sudan, which has led to the displacement of almost one-quarter of the Sudanese population, and has seen the devastation of the capital city, Khartoum, as well as much of Darfur” it stated.
The panel also expressed fear that Sudan is on the path to facing severe famine after the disruption of the planting season for a second year in a row.
“Sudan is officially the gravest humanitarian crisis in the world today. The HLP-Sudan expresses its support for the Jeddah Process towards a humanitarian ceasefire, and urges the conveners-the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the USA, to reconvene the talks as a matter of urgency, with the full participation of the AU and IGAD” it says.
The panel discussed with all stakeholders and interlocutors the urgent need to convene an all-inclusive Sudanese political dialogue, which would allow the Sudanese to exchange views on a common vision for a peaceful and stable Sudan.
The dialogue would also help them to agree on a transitional process that would allow them to address once and for all the deep historical causes underlying the current conflict, and to start the long and difficult process of rebuilding their shattered country.
CEASEFIRE DURING RAMADAN
At the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the panel has appealed to all Sudanese and in particular the warring parties, to use this month to implement a humanitarian pause.
During this period, the panel wants the warring factions to use this period to reflect on what it means to be Sudanese, and ways in which to return to the negotiation table to agree on a transition process and allow the 10 million displaced civilians to begin returning home.
ABOUT THIS PANEL
We understood from Inspectors that this High Level panel was suggested by Gen. Yoweri Museveni during a meeting he chaired in May last year when Uganda was the chair of Peace and Security Council for that month.
Museveni convened the PSC meeting to consider the the extremely worrisome situation in Sudan which had left over 900 civilians dead and thousands injured while displacing over one million to neighboring countries.
The war had destroyed public infrastructure including schools, hospitals, banks among others.
On the request by the AU Commission chairperson H.E Faki Moussa Mahamat for a solution on the matter, Gen. Museveni suggested that the PSC meeting resolves to identify a team of prominent Africans to study and also coordinate all regional and international efforts on the situation and make recommendations.
“President Museveni, we need your wisdom and your demonstrated commitment to Pan-Africanism to inspire us during these difficult times” Mahamat told the PSC high-level meeting convened and chaired by Museveni.
Inspectors said when a resolution was adopted to form this High-level Panel, Mahamat in January this year appointed three prominent Africans including Dr. Specioza Naigaga Wandera Kazibwe and her two other colleagues to start work immediately.
The panel’s mandate is to coordinate all regional and international stakeholders. To this end, it has met with the AU Expanded Mechanism, and has committed to close collaboration and regular engagements with all partners to ensure that efforts are aligned with the interests of the Sudanese and the region.
If all goes well, Uganda will again in June this year chair the PSC and that Museveni’s package to secure Africa is being awaited with excitement among members having proposed the AU peace initiative for Sudan. We’re told he had also suggested a similar approach for IGAD insisting that there shouldn’t be many initiatives on Sudan but it was allegedly frustrated.
