Sudan welcomes UNSC rejection of parallel authority

KHARTOUM - The Sudanese government on Thursday welcomed a statement by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) rejecting efforts to create a parallel authority in the country.

"The government of Sudan welcomes the UNSC's statement rejecting the signing of a charter aimed at creating a parallel ruling authority in the country," Khalid Ali Aleisir, Sudan's minister of information and government spokesperson, said in a statement.

The Sudanese minister reiterated the government's commitment to solutions that ensure the end of the conflict, preserve Sudan's unity and territorial integrity, and fulfill the aspirations of its people for security, democracy, and development.

He further emphasized the importance of international cooperation in supporting those affected by the war, reaffirming the government's commitment to facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He also voiced Sudan's rejection of any foreign interference that might destabilize the country or the region. Sudan has filed a case against the United Arab Emirates at the World Court for allegedly violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention by arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the International Court of Justice said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the UNSC in a statement expressed "grave concern" over the signing of a charter to establish a parallel governing authority in Sudan.

The UNSC members stressed that such actions would risk exacerbating the ongoing conflict in Sudan, fragmenting the country, and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.

On Feb 22, the RSF and its allied political and armed groups signed "a political charter" in Kenya to establish a "government of peace and unity" in territories under their control. The charter was later dismissed by the Sudanese government as "stillborn".

Signatories include the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), which controls vast areas in Sudan's South Kordofan, and other smaller groups.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a crisis monitoring group cited by the United Nations.

The conflict has also displaced over 15 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration.