Ministerial meeting for advancing the Sudan peace initiatives (Paris, le 15.04.24)

Published: Mon Apr 15 2024


DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

On the occasion of the “International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and the Neighbouring Countries”

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the States and international and regional organizations assembled in Paris, France, in order to advance the peace initiatives for Sudan [1], reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution of the Sudanese conflict while respecting the aspirations of the Sudanese people and the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan.

We commend the initiatives of the co-facilitators of the Jeddah talks, of the African Union and IGAD and of the neighbouring countries for their relentless efforts for peace in Sudan.

However, deeply concerned by the tragic consequences of the worsening conflict imposed on the Sudanese people and on the neighbouring countries by the warring parties, and alarmed by the warring parties' failure to implement commitments agreed to in Jeddah, we, one year after the outbreak of the hostilities, declare the following:

1. We express great concern over the violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Sudan. We urge the warring parties to respect their commitments and to abide by their obligations under the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

2. We call on the warring parties and all actors to facilitate unhindered access to civilian populations in need of humanitarian aid in a manner consistent with previous commitments and international obligations.

3. We urge the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and to abide by their commitments made in the previous rounds of the Jeddah talks and, in particular their obligations under the May 11, 2023, Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan.

4. We urge all foreign actors to cease providing armed support or materiel to the warring parties and to refrain from undertaking any action which would heighten tensions and fuel the conflict.

5. We call on all regional and international actors to fully support a consolidated Sudan peace initiative, building from the Jeddah platform, the African Union and IGAD-led initiative and the mechanism of the neighbouring countries, and we agree to continue and enhance ongoing coordination.

6. We call for urgent coordination of international mediation efforts, based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2724 (2024) and the communique of the 1185th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (2023). The United Nations Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan should use his good offices for consistent and unified diplomatic engagement from all key actors within a coherent mediation and pressure strategy and an inclusive consultative forum.

7. We are committed to assist the civilian population in Sudan, to address the gap in humanitarian funding, to obtain tangible progress from the warring parties with regard to humanitarian access, both cross-line and cross-border, to support the neighbouring States in the provision of services and delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudanese nationals and all people fleeing war atrocities.

8. We remain committed to support the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people and a representative and inclusive Sudanese-led and owned process which leads to the restoration of civilian rule./.

[1] List of States and international and regional organizations who have supported this declaration: [African Union, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, European Union, Ethiopia, France, Germany, IGAD, League of Arab States, Libya, Kenya, Norway, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan].

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