The United States has challenged the African Union to play a more engaged role in solving the war in Sudan.
US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello on Friday in his engagement with AU officials reiterated that the continental organization is a critical partner for solving the Sudan crisis, including their facilitation of the civilian political dialogue to support the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people.
“We also believe that the AU must have an essential role in supporting any efforts to monitor and implement existing commitments – such as the Jeddah Declaration – or any future ceasefire agreements,” Perriello said.
The envoy has been pushing to restart mediation processes, as the conflict in Sudan escalates.
Earlier on Thursday, Perriello decried that in Khartoum, El Fasher, and other parts of Sudan, that fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces continues to escalate, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure.
“Militaries and militias must uphold international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and humanitarian access. Most importantly, this war must stop,” he said on X.
In August, Â the second round of consultations on designing a political process for the inter-Sudanese dialogue, sponsored by the African Union (AU) and IGAD, concluded in Addis Ababa without a final agreement.
According to Sudan Tribine report, disagreements over the proposed draft for the political process prevented participating parties, most notably the Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces “Tagadum” and several armed movements, from reaching a consensus.
The Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, boycotted the closing session after objecting to the proposed draft and the technical committee’s failure to incorporate their proposals, the outlet reported.
On October 2, the envoy met Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi and National Security Adviser Monica Juma in Nairobi “to explore regional solutions for ending the crisis in Sudan”.
He noted that Kenya is a vital partner in the push, and that it hosts many Sudanese refugees.
“Together we emphasized the need for peace and for civilians to be protected,” he said.
“Speed, Scale and Support: key themes I heard from regional humanitarian partners today in Nairobi. They are urgently working to support humanitarian needs in Sudan as quickly as possible and at maximum scale. I am grateful for their invaluable work – especially the courage of their Sudanese colleagues, finding creative ways to get aid to the most vulnerable. The RSF and SAF must not use starvation as a weapon of war,” he added.
On his part, Mudavadi said the discussions were focused on the evolving political landscape and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
“We emphasized the importance of fostering a robust peace process that prioritizes enhanced humanitarian access for all affected communities.,” he said.
Perriello was accompanied by senior representatives from the United States Embassy, including Marc Dillard, Deputy Chief of Mission, and Francesco Barbacci, Political Officer, which Mudavadi said underscored the United States’ commitment to supporting peace and stability in Sudan.
The Sudan issue also came up in New York during President William Ruto’s talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The President said they discussed Kenya’s “anchoring role in the pursuit of peace and security in our region”.
Notably, Sudan’s Army General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has opposed President Ruto’s mediation of the conflict, saying Kenya is not neutral and that it harbored RSF rebels.
Last year, Kenya chaired the IGAD quartet to resolve issues in Sudan starting June 12, 2023, with the other member countries in the quartet being Djibouti, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
