Nigeria, South Africa Call For Ceasefire And End To Conflict In Sudan.

By Caroline Ameh

Nigeria and South Africa have jointly called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The appeal was made on Saturday (20 July) by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, in a joint statement released by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to Tuggar.

The announcement followed a meeting between the two ministers on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council in Accra, Ghana. During the meeting, they exchanged views on various regional and continental issues, with a focus on peace and security in Africa. Both ministers expressed grave concern over the conflict in Sudan, highlighting its devastating impact.

The conflict in Sudan has led to significant loss of civilian lives, worsened the humanitarian crisis, displaced millions of people, and caused extensive destruction of critical infrastructure. Women and children have been particularly affected by the violence and displacement.

In their joint statement, the ministers reiterated their call for an immediate ceasefire and the initiation of processes to ensure swift access to humanitarian assistance in Sudan.

They urged the international community to take urgent, concrete steps to facilitate a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the conflict.

The ministers also reaffirmed the strong historical bilateral relations, bonds of friendship, and solidarity between South Africa and Nigeria.

They committed to enhancing cooperation between the two nations across various sectors and announced plans to finalize preparations for the upcoming session of the Bi-National Commission, scheduled to take place in South Africa.