Chinese envoy calls for more humanitarian aid, political solution to Sudan conflict

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday called for greater international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and a political solution to the ongoing armed conflict.

The Sudan conflict has been going on for nearly 16 months, resulting in mass civilian casualties and displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, in remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on humanitarian issues in Sudan.

It is the strong desire of the Sudanese people and urgent expectation of the international community to promote the de-escalation of the situation, properly tackle humanitarian challenges, and restore peace at an early date, Dai said.

Facing "unprecedented humanitarian challenges", Dai called on the international community to increase their focus and input, promptly deliver on their aid commitments, and take substantive measures to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe.

China supports the UN humanitarian agencies in stepping up their efforts to this end, welcomes the Sudanese government to open multiple humanitarian crossings and airports to facilitate humanitarian relief operations, and supports the Sudanese government to continue to cooperate with the United Nations, said the envoy.

"International humanitarian actions should strengthen coordination with Sudanese authorities, strictly abide by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, while avoiding politicization of humanitarian efforts. The discussion of humanitarian assistance and access issues should be truly committed to saving lives, and no one should use aid and food security as tools to impose pressure and sanctions," said Dai at the Security Council briefing.

Stressing that the humanitarian action and political settlement should be promoted simultaneously, Dai said that bringing parties to the conflict back to talks for achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible is the fundamental way to ease the humanitarian crisis.

China calls on parties concerned to fulfill obligations under the international humanitarian law, minimize the harm to civilians, do their most to protect farmland, water conservancy and other agricultural infrastructure, and promote the restoration of agricultural production.

China supports the UN in maintaining contact with all parties and promoting the mediation parties to strengthen overall coordination and form synergy to achieve an early political settlement of the Sudan issue.

Chinese envoy calls for more humanitarian aid, political solution to Sudan conflict

A high-level mediation team from the African Union (AU) Commission has been dispatched to Juba, capital of South Sudan, to try to ease the rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, and help resolve the current political crisis in the country.

Riek Machar and several senior officials have been detained since clashes erupted in January between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces and the opposition fighters.

Machar was accused of instigating violence in Nasir in the northern part of the country.

The mediation team says it plans to engage Machar, but that meeting is yet to take place.

The AU is urging South Sudanese political leaders to resolve the current disagreement through dialogue.

Machar heads the largest opposition group that has an armed wing in the country, known as SPLM/A-IO.

South Sudan's government says it's still investigating Machar for being allegedly involved in clashes between government troops and armed civilians affiliated to SPLM/A-IO in Nasir.

"The mandate of the RTGoNU (the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity) is simple; that we stop war, we form a revitalized government of national unity so that we return security, sustainable peace in the country," said Martin Elia Lomuro, South Sudan's Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

Meanwhile, Machar's party members are calling on president Kiir to order the release of their leader.

The group argues that the arrest of Machar means the 2018 peace deal which ended five years of violence in the country has partially collapsed.

The government reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.

It says Mr. Machar is in conflict with the law and that the implementation of the peace deal should not be used as cover to commit crime. However, until now, South Sudanese law enforcement agencies have not charged Machar with any offense in a court of law.

South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, signed a peace deal in 2018 that ended a civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar. Nearly 400,000 people died in the civil war.

Relations between Kiir and Machar, who have dominated South Sudan's politics for decades, remain strained. The clashes and latest political tensions between the two leaders have unsettled many citizens and the international community.

AU dispatches Panel of Wise to address ongoing instability in South Sudan