The Russian Federation has called for a swift cessation of hostilities in Sudan, as discussed by Russian Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, and Sudanese Ambassador to Moscow, Mohammed Sirraj.
"During the meeting, there was a comprehensive discussion on the prospects for resolving the military-political crisis in Sudan. The Russian side reiterated its firm stance on the urgent need for an immediate halt to hostilities and the initiation of a sustainable inter-Sudanese negotiation process aimed at peacefully resolving existing disputes in the best interests of Sudan's unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty," the Russian foreign ministry reported.
Furthermore, the parties discussed several practical aspects of enhancing Russia-Sudan relations.
The situation in Sudan escalated in April 2023 due to disagreements between the chairman of the country's Sovereign Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the head of the Rapid Support Force, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The main tensions revolve around the timing and methods of forming a unified armed force, and whether the commander-in-chief should be a professional military officer, as advocated by al-Burhan, or an elected civilian president, as insisted by Dagalo. Clashes broke out between the SIS and the army in Merowe and Khartoum on April 15, 2023, quickly spreading to other parts of Sudan. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.
The warring parties held a series of consultations in Jeddah in 2023. A ceasefire between the army and special forces was repeatedly announced, but none of the agreements reached have been fully implemented.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Christopher Michel/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS