Egypt president announces steps to end conflict in Sudan

Leaders from Sudan’s six neighbouring countries met in Egypt's capital, Cairo, on Thursday for the most high-profile peace talks since conflict erupted across the north-eastern African country in mid-April.

The meeting, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, was attended by the leaders of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, the Central African Republic and Libya.

"We express our deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan and condemn the repeated attacks on civilians, healthcare facilities and public service outlets. We call upon the international community leaders to intensify efforts in providing necessary humanitarian assistance and address the urgent severe shortage of food and medical supplies in Sudan as a measure which reduces the serious repercussions of the crisis on innocent civilians“, said Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

Thursday’s meeting comes weeks after talks, involving the US and Saudi Arabia in the city of Jeddah broke down after both sides repeatedly failed to stop fighting and violated cease-fire agreements.

“An agreement has been reached to form a ministerial mechanism regarding the Sudanese crisis at the level of foreign ministers of neighbouring countries. Its first meeting will be held in Chad to take the following steps, putting an executive work plan that includes practical and implementable solutions, stop the fighting and reach a comprehensive solution to the Sudanese crisis through direct communication with the various Sudanese parties, in coordination with existing mechanisms IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Ed.) and the African Union. The RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and Sudan's military have agreed to at least 10 cease-fires, many of which were brokered during the Jeddah talks", concluded Egypt’s President.

Sudan has been rocked by violence since April when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces burst into open fighting.