Türkiye welcomes deal by Sudanese warring sides to protect civilians

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Saturday welcomed an agreement between Sudan's warring generals to allow the safe flow of humanitarian assistance in the conflict-torn country.

"We hope that the declaration will lead to the establishment of a lasting cease-fire and inclusive dialogue in Sudan.

“It is our greatest wish that the humanitarian situation in Sudan will improve and that all our Sudanese brothers and sisters will have uninterrupted access to basic needs,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Türkiye is ready to give all kinds of support to efforts to establish peace and stability in Sudan, it added.

After a week of talks in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday signed a "Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan."

On April 15, fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings. More than 600 people have been killed and thousands injured.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the latter’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

Sudan's transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.