The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has urgently appealed to Sudanese leaders to end the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), which has lasted over a year. Recent clashes in North Darfur, involving tribal actors, have raised fears of escalating mass killings along ethnic lines. Mahamat expressed deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in El Fasher, North Darfur.

He emphasized the dangers posed by new recruitments of fighters and the importation of weapons into El Fasher, highlighting the grave risks to civilians. Mahamat described the situation in the North Darfur region as exceedingly complex for the peace-making process.

According to a statement from the African Union, which was disseminated on what was formerly known as the AU’s official Twitter account, the Commission has called for the belligerents to immediately halt the fighting. It urged the return to a local truce in El Fasher and the implementation of the May 2023 Jeddah Ceasefire Agreement without conditions. The statement also calls for the resumption of talks to establish a lasting peace in Sudan, in accordance with the roadmaps laid out by the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Furthermore, the AU Commission strongly condemned any external interference, emphasizing the necessity for foreign countries to cease the supply of weapons to the combatants, which constitutes a clear violation of legally binding UN Security Council resolutions. Mahamat reiterated his call for all Sudanese elites to support the high-level panel initiative on Sudan aimed at fostering an all-inclusive political dialogue in the country. He also appealed to the international community to coordinate its efforts with the joint initiative of the AU, IGAD, the United Nations, and the League of Arab States to end the ongoing and unjustified conflict in Sudan.