BY SOLOMON DIBABA
The Sudanese diplomatic sources have recently reported that, the delegation from the Sudanese armed forces have withdrawn from the peace talks that was going on in Jeddah, KSA. It is feared that this would seriously disrupt the relief and lifesaving programs that were underway in the country. The capital city of the country, Khartoum has turned into a battle ground between the warring parties.
Even under normal circumstances Sudan has been wading from one form of economic crisis to the other. Climate change induced flooding, recurrent flooding, alarmingly rising food prices; displacement has already multiplied the plight of the population in the country. Therefore, any war or social crisis would certainly be adding fuel on the already raging prairie fire.
Since a military coup in October 2021, Sudan has been run by a council of generals. In July 2022, given heightened public distrust of the military, the de-facto Sudanese head of state announced that he would withdraw from political talks and support the formation of a technocratic cabinet. But the current violence was sparked by a disagreement over the integration of the RSF into the military as part of this transition towards civilian rule.
Moreover, the conflict has continued unabated has caused further displacement and insecurity in border regions of Sudan. Limited state authority and unresolved local disputes over scarce land and natural resources in Darfur, Kordofan and Kassala drove increased fighting and displacement throughout 2022.
According to reports from NGOs operating in Sudan the conflicts and violence in the Blue Nile state has displaced 97,000 people since July 2022, while a similar situation displaced 21,000 people in West Kordofan in October. Sudan is experiencing substantially warmer and drier weather, with shorter rainy periods reducing crop production and erratic rainfall also making flooding more likely this year. Most Sudanese live in rural areas and depend on rain to raise crops and livestock.
In the second half of 2020, at least 111,000 houses were either destroyed or severely damaged by floodwater, while the number of people critically affected exceeded 770,000. Nearly 16,000 latrines were destroyed and the collapse of the Bout Dam hindered access to water to more than 100,000 people in Blue Nile State. All 18 States of the country were affected.
Unusually heavy rains have also resulted in the worst desert locust infestation seen across the horn of Africa in decades. Loss of crops and rising food prices have made it increasingly difficult for families to put food on the table each day.
Sudan is facing a multitude of economic pressures: a high inflation rate, extremely low foreign reserves and the international community’s suspension of foreign debt relief programs. Though the inflation rate is predicted to fall to 115.7% in 2023 from 236.4% in 2022, this still reflects very rapidly growing prices.
Sudan imports 80% of its wheat from Russia, making it particularly impacted by the ripple effects from the war in Ukraine. Extreme levels of food insecurity and malnutrition affect 39% of Sudan’s population, making it one of the worst food insecurity emergencies in the world. Financial donors suspended Sudan’s debt removal program when the military took power, meaning an agreement to write off $14 billion in debt and cancel $9 billion more in the future is no longer going ahead.
On top of this, cooperation between the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the current authorities remains suspended. The UN’s Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan, which aims to ensure the country’s humanitarian needs are met, is just 14% funded. Against this backdrop, the economic crisis is likely to grow throughout 2023: food and transportation costs may rise further, and medicine, energy and imported goods will likely face shortages.
According to a report issued by UNHR Office of the High Commissioner on 11 May 2023, before the crisis, Sudan already had 3.7 million internally displaced persons in the country, in addition to hosting over 1 million refugees. Due to the violent outbreak, about 334,000 people are estimated to have been newly displaced within Sudan, and over 120,000 people have fled to neighboring countries.
There is an urgent need for an immediate and sustained ceasefire followed by a resumption of political negotiations to move toward a civilian-led government. We call on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt hostilities, de-escalate the situation and allow for unimpeded access, inclusive and extensive humanitarian operations to relieve suffering and provide life-saving protection and a pathway to sustainable peace and development.
Developments of any kind that takes place in Sudan affects Ethiopia and the countries of the Horn of Africa in so many ways likewise events and political and economic developments in Ethiopia have a greater bearing on Sudan. The recent clash between the warring parties in Sudan is already taking toll of lives and huge amount of damage in properties and infrastructures. The people of Sudan are undoubtedly trapped between cross fires while foreign diplomatic staffs and representatives of global international organizations are desperately being forced to evacuate the country.
As a token of good neighborly relations and quest for peace in Sudan, although Ethiopia has been plagued with climate change induced drought and food shortage, the country has readied some 50,000 quintals of food grain and other consignments which included medical relief supplies for the people of Sudan. Although the relief donations are far from meeting the immediate needs of the war torn population, it clearly indicates that Ethiopia considers the plight of the people of Sudan as if it has happened on the people of Ethiopia.
Over the last five years, the leadership in Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in particular has rendered immense contributions in helping to establish a Transition Government in Sudan as a viable strategy for establishing a civilian government in the country. Prime Minister Abiy has taken serious and tiring initiatives to restore peace and democracy in Sudan through multiple trips he made to Khartoum.
For Ethiopia, working towards peace in Sudan is not only a political and diplomatic gesture with a friendly country but is also a matter of foreign policy objective with a priority of strengthening good neighborly deeper diplomatic relations with the neighboring countries, particularly Sudan.
African leaders and dignitaries of regional and global organizations who attended the recently held recognition and appreciation ceremony prepared by the Federal Government of Ethiopia to thank all officials and stakeholders who tirelessly worked to construct the Agreement on Permanent Cessation of Hostilities signed between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and TPLF said in one voice that the warning parties in Sudan need to learn from the experience of peace process in Ethiopia to resolve their differences.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on the Sudanese warring parties to come to the peace alternative by taking lessons from Ethiopia’s peace agreement. PM Abiy disclosed this today in a message he delivered at an event organized to honor those who have contributed to the Pretoria Peace agreement under the theme: “Enough with War, Let us Sustain Peace!”
The premier said that, Ethiopia’s peace agreement signed in South Africa; Pretoria is a lesson to the neighboring countries and all other African countries. Peace doesn’t need excuses, Abiy said, stressing the need to give utmost priority to peace. He called on Sudanese rivals to resolve their current conflicts through dialogue, drawing lessons from Ethiopia’s peace agreement.
Ethiopia is currently hosting thousands of Sudanese refugees who fled their country in fear of the recurrent civil wars that plagued the country over several decades. In addition, despite several setbacks and irregularities, Ethiopia has been making serious and genuine efforts to settle the border disputes between the two countries by making continuous efforts to accelerate the momentum of the Joint Border Commission.
Ethiopia and Sudan have charted out a number of joint infrastructure development programs and other economic joint ventures that could have been of greater mutually beneficial for both countries. Regrettably, previous and current political and diplomatic shortfalls between the two countries prevented such ventures to move ahead speedily.
Ethiopia has time and again demonstrated its commitment to the use of the waters of the Nile in a mutually beneficial manner and in a spirit of equity. The nation is still committed to the tripartite talks as long as Sudan is committed to mutually beneficial use of the Nile.
Ethiopia is seriously committed to peace in Sudan not only because the country shares extensive border with Ethiopia but also because the fighting that is going on in the country could over flow destabilize the already fragile political situation in the Horn of Africa.
The warning parties in Sudan cannot afford to be at loggerheads and in war unless they risk the multiplication of the agony of their citizens and the rapid regression of their economy and proliferation of hunger, destitution and large scale displacement. The interests and needs of the people of Sudan need to be respected.
Ethiopia believes that, the people and government of Sudan have all the capacity to resolve their problems by themselves without the need for external intervention. The AU and international partners and the neighboring countries like Ethiopia are naturally ready to extend their hands to help the Sudanese parties to spell out their differences at the negotiation table to come up with inclusive and amicable solutions to their problems.
Ethiopia hopes that the sooner the better because it has proved that nothing positive can come out of war. This is particularly true for Sudan and other African countries. Ethiopia firmly supports Third Meeting of the Expanded Mechanism on the Sudan Crisis to Discuss the Implementation of the African Union Roadmap for the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 6 JUNE 2023
