Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday met with the vice president of the Transitional Sovereign Council of war-ravaged Sudan, Malik Agar Eyre Nganyoufa.
The ongoing civil war between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023.
The SA Presidency said the purpose of the meeting with the Sudanese envoy was to brief President Ramaphosa on the developments towards peace in Sudan.
“President Ramaphosa welcomed the briefing and expressed South Africa’s support for dialogue between the warring factions,” said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the President.
“The President further reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire that will alleviate the suffering and humanitarian catastrophe facing the Sudanese people, especially women and children.
“President Ramaphosa looks forward to meeting with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council.”
On Friday, the United Nations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned that deliberate denial of safe access for humanitarian agencies within war-torn Sudan could amount to a war crime.
“Sudan has become a living nightmare. Almost half of the population – 25 million people – are in urgent need of food and medical aid. Some 80 percent of hospitals have been put out of service,” Turk said.
Last year in October, the UN said at least 9 000 people have been killed and another 5.6 million forced to flee their homes during the conflict.
