The “Allied” group calls on the Sudanese parties to address the issue of protecting civilians
SPA – Riyadh
The group “Allied to Save Lives and Peace in Sudan” held a weekly virtual meeting last Friday, October 10, 2024, to discuss the escalation of the conflict and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan.
The group issued a joint statement urging the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to improve and enhance humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan and address the issue of protecting civilians, expressing its optimism about the African Union’s visit to Port Sudan, and its anticipation of following up on the commitments made during this visit.
The group called on the Transitional Sovereignty Council to extend the agreement to open the Adre border crossing between Sudan and Chad for the delivery of humanitarian aid indefinitely, noting that thousands of tons of life-saving humanitarian aid had passed through the Adre crossing.
The group stressed the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to take steps to ensure the safety and protection of local health and humanitarian workers and organizations on the front lines, while calling on them to reduce conflict and escalation, and facilitate the cessation of hostilities, enabling freedom of movement, including cross-line movement for all workers. In the humanitarian field and first response.
The group members praised the courageous work of local volunteers and response networks, noting the nomination of the Sudanese Emergency Response Room on the front lines for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is an important signal in light of their decisive work.
Members of the group also urged the warring parties to facilitate the use of Kadugli Airport for humanitarian flights by the United Nations, NGOs and other humanitarian actors, initially from South Sudan, while technical problems related to flights from within Sudan are resolved. The group also called for the establishment of a mechanism to avoid Conflict and alert with the aim of ensuring the safety and security of aircraft and personnel involved in the management of air operations.
