UK urges battling Sudanese parties to extend cease-fire

LONDON

The UK on Thursday called on the two warring parties in Sudan to extend the cease-fire and protect the people of the East African country.

During a speech in the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly made a direct appeal to the two generals whose forces are battling in Sudan.

"Demonstrating a willingness to protect the people of Sudan would be an important starting point for either of the generals if they aspire to be the leader of Sudan."

He said the UK government is pushing hard for an extension of the cease-fire and amplifying the voices of those in the region who believe it is in Sudan's best interests.

Since mid-April, there has been a power struggle between the two main factions of the military regime, with the Sudanese armed forces broadly loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces following former warlord Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

On Monday, the warring parties agreed to maintain a fresh three-day cease-fire to halt escalating violence in Sudan, which will expire on Thursday night.

Cleverly said the struggle for power between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces has killed hundreds of Sudanese citizens.

"This is a monumental tragedy, one with the potential to destabilize not just Sudan, but the wider region. It is therefore in our interests, and more importantly in the interests of the people of Sudan to secure a peaceful and sustainable settlement as quickly as possible," he urged.

"However, our ability and the ability of all outside powers to determine the course of events within Sudan is limited. What is within our power is the safe extraction of as many British nationals as practically possible," he said.

Britain’s Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell said on Monday that some 4,000 UK citizens live in Sudan and 2,000 of them have already requested help.

So far, a total of 536 people have now been evacuated from Sudan on six UK flights, Cleverly said.

At least 460 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces since April 15, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

A disagreement has been fomenting in recent months between the army and paramilitaries concerning military security reform.

The reform envisages full RSF participation in the military – one of the main issues in negotiations with international and regional parties for a transition to civilian, democratic rule.