International Day of Peace
More than 500 days of continuous fighting in Sudan
Statement
The world continues to ignore the ongoing war in Sudan for more than (500) days, in which Sudan has witnessed the most horrific crimes and violations against civilians, as about (25.6) million people face the risk of acute hunger, with 10.7 million people displaced since the start of the conflict in mid-April 2023.
The bloody conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has lasted more than 500 days of continuous fighting since its outbreak on April 15, 2023. Unfortunately, this conflict has not received much attention from the world, despite its atrocity. While the two parties to the conflict signed a ceasefire declaration mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia in the city of Jeddah at the beginning of the conflict, both sides did not abide by the terms of the agreement, along with a number of peace initiatives that have not yet succeeded in stopping the fighting and saving Sudanese from death, hunger and displacement.
Unfortunately, the “April 15 War” has not received the global attention commensurate with the magnitude of the tragedy and atrocities committed every day against unarmed civilians; they were left alone to face RSF artillery shells on the one hand and Sudanese Armed Forces aircraft on the other, in addition to hunger and disease, most of whom lack the basic necessities of life inside Sudan, while others are displaced in neighboring countries.
Today, September 21, 2024, marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. This year focuses on the theme “Cultivating a Culture of Peace,” but it comes in light of bloody violent events with security and political instability in many regions around the world, especially Sudan, which has entered its second year of fighting and continuous displacement, in light of the failure of all rounds of negotiations due to the insistence of the parties to the conflict on winning and resolving the conflict militarily, and other reasons we addressed in the report “Winding Path: Why have Peace Negotiations in Sudan Stalled?”, the most prominent of which are as follows:
1. Poor awareness of the negotiation agenda.
2. Lack of inclusion.
3. Lack of an effective monitoring mechanism for the cessation of hostilities.
4. Lack of public communication that grants legitimacy and promotes transparency, trust, pressure, accountability, and indirect participation.
We at the Youth Citizen Observers Network take this opportunity to call for the following:
1. That the conflicting parties and their allies immediately cease hostilities and sit at the negotiating table to stop the war and end the suffering of citizens.
2. The international and regional community should pressure the conflicting parties in Sudan to stop fighting and return to the negotiating table to end the suffering of Sudanese citizens, IDPs, and refugees in neighboring countries.
Youth Citizen Observers Network’ Media Spokesperson