The three African Members of the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) have called on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately and unconditionally halt all hostilities, in the overall interest of the country and its people.
The countries, known as the A3, who made the call in a media briefing on Monday, April 17, 2023, also said that they “strongly reject any external interference that could complicate the ongoing situation in Sudan.”
They reiterated their insistence on “the respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the Republic of Sudan.”
The A3 is made up of Ghana, Gabon and Mozambique, and their statement was read by the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the UN, H.E Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman.
Deadly clashes erupted over the weekend between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which, the A3 said, could escalate into a full-blown conflict and undermine the stability in Sudan and the progress made towards a peaceful transition to democracy.
They insist that the conflict must stop “to avoid further bloodshed and harm to innocent civilians” and “to protect civilians, especially women, and children; and to provide humanitarian support to civilians caught up in the conflict.”
The group specifically urged the two sides to “swiftly embrace, in the spirit of the Ramadan season, a peaceful solution and inclusive dialogue to resolve their differences as a means to promote stability and respect the wishes of the people of Sudan for restoration of democracy, constitutionalism, rule of law and freedom.”
The A3 strongly condemned the armed confrontation and regretted the loss of lives among civilians, including international humanitarian workers, and the destruction of property and wished the injured speedy recovery.
They equally urged “the Sudanese authorities to open their airspace to allow the three (3) Heads of State delegated by IGAD to travel to the Sudan and help mediate between the parties.”
The group also urged the countries of the Region and other stakeholders, in line with the AU Communique of April 16, 2023, “to support ongoing efforts to return the country to the transition process towards a constitutional order.”
