Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Countries Neighboring Sudan results in 6 recommendations

CAIRO – 8 August 2023: The Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Countries Neighboring the Republic of Sudan released Monday the final communique of the convention and that consisted of six recommendations.

The ministers urged coordination among the initiatives of the African Union, IGAD, and Sudan's neighboring states. They also stressed the salience of accelerating the implementation of the humanitarian plan prepared by the United Nations. That is by remedying "the shortfall, while drawing attention to the correlation with the vital needs of the populations in host regions in terms of security and development."

In the same context, the chief diplomats underlined the necessity of setting up "humanitarian warehouses in neighboring countries to ensure rapid transport of relief supplies and medical care for victims." They also reiterated the need for keeping "the humanitarian corridors open," calling on conflict parties in Sudan to pave the way for assistance.

The ministers "stressed the importance of direct and continuous contacts with the belligerents in order to identify the determinants for a lasting ceasefire, to end the destruction of innocent lives and infrastructures, and to allow the functioning of health establishments and other basic services (water, food, electricity, banks, etc.)."

The ministerial committee, comprising Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Libya, and Ethiopia, prepared a plan of action that focuses on "the achievement of a definitive ceasefire, the organization of an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue, and the management of humanitarian issues."  

The ministers agreed on meeting in September on the sidelines of the regular session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.