US, Allies Push Civilian Path For Sudan

Washington, June 8 (IANS) The United States and a coalition of Western, African and international organisations on Monday backed the launch of a Suese-led political dialogue within weeks, arguing that only a civilian transition can end Su’s devastating civil war and restore stability to the country.In a joint statement issued after the consultations in Addis Ababa, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and other partners said they remained united in their belief that “there can be no military solution to this crisis” and called for an inclusive political process reflecting “the aspirations of the Suese people”.The statement followed consultations held by the Quintet — the AU, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), League of Arab States, EU and UN — with Suese political stakeholders from June 3-5 in Ethiopia’s capital.The countries and organisations reaffirmed their commitment to “a peaceful, democratic, and stable future” for Su and to preserving the country’s “sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity”.They also voiced alarm over the worsening humanitarian situation.”We express deep concern over the devastating humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict, where millions face displacement, acute food insecurity, and limited access to basic services, while attacks on civilians and infrastructure persist,” the statement said.The signatories stressed that “the protection of civilians must remain central” and reiterated “the urgent need for a humanitarian truce, leading to a permanent ceasefire”.The joint statement welcomed outcomes from the Berlin Conference on Su held on April 15, including the adoption of the “Berlin Principles for Su” and a civilian stakeholders’ declaration calling for an end to the war and the launch of a Suese-owned political process.According to the statement, those initiatives helped strengthen international coordination and support for “a civilian-led path towards a durable peaceful settlement”.The group said advancing a civilian track must remain central to efforts to end the conflict and establish a democratic transition.It supported “a swift and time-bound civilian track that leads to a civilian-led transition” and said progress would be assessed against agreed benchmarks.The statement also warned that “appropriate measures will be considered by the international community against those who seek to undermine the civilian transition process”.The international partners endorsed plans by the Quintet to begin “in the coming few weeks” a comprehensive civilian-led dialogue process involving a broad spectrum of Suese political and civil actors.The proposed dialogue would include representatives of civil society, women’s groups, youth organisations and stakeholders reflecting Su’s geographic and social diversity. The process, the statement said, should be transparent, credible and free from coercion.The signatories said they hoped the dialogue could be concluded “ideally within six months” and lead to “a clear pathway toward a transition process to an independent civilian-led government, grounded in legitimacy, accountability, and respect for human rights”.They described the establishment of such a government as “indispensable to ensuring a durable end to the conflict”.lkjkskas