Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has condemned clashes which erupted on Saturday in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, between the military and para-military, Rapid Support Forces, RSF saying the ongoing fight is unwelcome.
Speaking during a visit to him by the Transitional President of Chad, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, President Buhari described the fighting that claimed lives as unfortunate.
The two leaders reviewed the unfortunate situation and called on all neighbouring countries and the international community to prevail on the warring sides to stop fighting and negotiate.
“The situation in Sudan is unfortunate,” said the President, adding that Sudan deserved peace after all that it had gone through in the past.
President Buhari commended the Chadian leader for his “Efforts to see a calming down, and for them to live peacefully. But you have to keep trying.”
Deby-Itno told President Buhari that the situation in Sudan was worrisome.
“Unfortunately, if not arrested, it will have serious repercussions on neighbouring countries,” Deby-Itno stated.
As for the steps his country took in response to the crisis, President Deby-Itno said, “We have closed our borders to Sudan and reinforced our security.
“I have spoken to the leaders of both factions. If everyone tries, it will calm down the situation. African leaders, especially the elders (President Buhari), Macky Sall (Senegal) and AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani (Comoros) need to step in. For two days, they have been killing themselves.”
The Chadian leader wished President Buhari a successful Umrah and “All the best as you prepare to leave office.”
Background
The battles follow rising tensions over the proposed integration of the Rapid Support Forces into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing of an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy.
The Rapid Support Forces was created in 2013 by then-President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. A transition government dominated by civilians was overthrown by the military in 2021 with the cooperation of the RSF.
Tensions between the military and RSF have escalated since then as the two groups have competed for legitimacy and control of the country.
In recent months, these tensions were exacerbated by a deterioration in relations between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of Sudan’s military, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF.
The disagreement stemmed from disagreements about how the RSF should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process.
A coalition of civilian groups that signed a draft of that agreement in December called on Saturday for an immediate halt to hostilities to stop Sudan from sliding towards total collapse.
Reactions: International Community
Meanwhile, the international community has condemned the violence, the United States, China, Russia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Nations, European Union and African Union have all called for an end to the hostilities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said the situation in Sudan was fragile insisted there was still an opportunity to complete a transition to a civilian-led government.
“Fighting between SAF and RSF forces threatens the security and safety of Sudanese civilians and undermines efforts to restore Sudan’s democratic transition. The only way forward is to return to negotiations.”
The US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that he had taken shelter with his embassy staff.
“Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous,” Godfrey wrote. “I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting.”
China also expressed concern with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging both sides to pursue a ceasefire and prevent further escalation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the outbreak of fighting and called for calm.
“The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis,” said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’s spokesman.
Additional Research/AlJazeera/PIAK
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