WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In an effort to find a resolution to the conflict in Sudan, the U.S. assistant secretary of State for African affairs, Molly Phee, is scheduled to travel to Addis Ababa on Monday and Tuesday. During her trip, Phee will engage with African leaders and Sudanese civilians to discuss possible solutions, the State Department announced on Sunday.
Despite previous diplomatic attempts, the ongoing clashes between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have yet to come to a halt. With multiple initiatives competing for attention, confusion has arisen about how the warring parties can be brought to the negotiating table.
The armed conflict that erupted on April 15 in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, has resulted in the displacement of over 2.9 million individuals, including nearly 700,000 who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Many of these countries were already grappling with their own challenges, such as poverty and internal conflicts.
In a statement, the State Department emphasized the urgent need for a resolution, urging the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to cease hostilities and return to their bases. The State Department also called on them to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights laws and ensure unhindered humanitarian access so that civilians’ emergency needs can be met.
Phee’s visit will involve meetings with Sudanese civilians and senior representatives from various governments and organizations in the region, including the East African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union Commission, according to the State Department.
On Sunday, clashes were reported to have taken place between the army and the RSF in El Obeid, located southwest of Khartoum, as well as in the southern part of the capital, said local residents. Egypt announced that it will host a summit of Sudan’s neighboring countries on July 13 to discuss potential solutions to the conflict between rival Sudanese military factions.
The talks hosted in Jeddah and sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia were suspended last month. Additionally, a mediation attempt by East African nations faced criticism from the army, alleging bias on the part of Kenya.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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