The head of the Sovereign Council and European Union diplomats to Khartoum Tuesday discussed the security situation in Darfur and the border dispute with Ethiopia.
European diplomats in Sudan from France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the European Union met on Tuesday with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to discuss the ongoing democratic transition in the country.
Following the meeting, the Head of the EU Delegation in Sudan Robert van den Dool told reporters that they had a “friendly and constructive” discussion on the transition including Hamdok’s initiative and reiterated their call to form the transitional parliament.
“We also discussed the security situation in the country, the progress in the implementation of the security arrangements stipulated by the Juba Peace Agreement and the efforts by the government to maintain order, strengthen security, impose rule of law and combat crime,” Dool further said.
He said they underlined the need to protect displaced people and enforce the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians, pointing it was crucial for peacebuilding in the Darfur region.
The government has delayed the implementation of security measures in Darfur as uncontrolled combatants of former rebel groups participated in intercommunal clashes and some others are accused of robberies.
Also, the lack of funding prevents the launch of the implementation of measures aiming to compensate the displaced people or rehabilitating their areas of origin for their return.
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General in September 2019, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok requested that his country be declared eligible for the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
Hamdok asked that the funding be allocated to support his government plans for security, durable solutions, and peacebuilding at the community level in Darfur.
The EU representative In Sudan said that the meeting discussed the situation in eastern Sudan, in Ethiopia and South Sudan.
“Sudan’s strategic location is key to the stability of the region and we believe that any military escalation will negatively reflect on the peace, security and progress in the countries of the region,” Dool said.
The EU diplomats also expressed their commitment to support the transitional process and back the government’s efforts to rebuild the Sudanese economy.
“We confirmed to his Excellency that the European Union will continue to support Sudan’s transition to a civilian-led democratic government,” he said.
Source: Sudan Tribune