President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was looking forward to meeting with the leader of Sudan. Picture: Phando Jikelo / Independent Newspapers
Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor has called for peace between warring factions in Sudan in a war that began almost a year ago.
This was after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with the Vice President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, Malik Agar Eyre, over the weekend.
Ramaphosa met with the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo last year.
He said he was looking forward to meeting with the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The RSF and SAF have been involved in a fierce conflict after a power struggle between Dagalo and al-Burhan.
There have been several attempts by regional leaders and peace talks in Saudi Arabia to end the almost year-long conflict, but no deal has been struck as yet.
Ramaphosa said he wants peace in Sudan.
“President Ramaphosa looks forward to meeting with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Pandor, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from Greg Krumbock of the Democratic Alliance (DA), said they want an end to the conflict in Sudan.
“It would be recalled that South Africa, immediately after the start of the hostilities, issued a statement wherein it strongly condemned the fighting and called for peace and calm among the parties involved in the conflict, in keeping with the AU objective of silencing the guns on the Continent.
“South Africa appealed to the different factions of the Sudanese army to immediately cease all fighting, spare the Sudanese people any further violence and immediately return to the negotiations table to agree on a sustainable military and security sector reform programme as part of the Final Agreement towards the restoration of a civilian-led transitional government in Sudan.
“South Africa also joined the UN Secretary-General in calling on the parties to return to the negotiating table and continue their dialogue with the aim of transiting the country to a civilian-led government,” said Pandor.
She said a month after the war started, government issued another statement condemning the war.
They believe initiatives by the AU and the regional bloc, the International Government Authority for Development (IGAD), were crucial in finding a solution to the conflict in Sudan.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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