Your Excellency Mr. Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Attendees,
Representatives of Regional and International Organisations,
Welcome to the League of Arab States, and thank you for accepting the invitation to participate in today’s meeting to discuss ways to coordinate our efforts to restore peace and stability in Sudan.
We gather today in light of an unprecedented war in the modern history of Sudan, which has been ongoing for 14 months between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This war has claimed the lives of at least 15,000 people and displaced 10 million from their homes, cities, and villages. State institutions, especially in the capital Khartoum, have been deliberately targeted and overthrown. Ethnic cleansing operations have resurfaced in Darfur and Kordofan, and there have been massive violations of basic human rights, including shameful massacres, such as the one in Gezira state last week. Additionally, an impending famine threatens the people of this country, which is known as the breadbasket of Africa and the Arab world.
The Sudanese situation warrants extensive analysis regarding the roots of the crisis and the reasons for its unprecedented deterioration. However, we must not allow this to delay our response; time is not on the side of the Sudanese people and the Sudanese state.
The continuation of this war means the ongoing erosion of the Sudanese state's capabilities to fulfil its responsibilities, forcing current and future generations to become displaced and flee the conflict. While we know that ending the crisis is primarily the responsibility of Sudanese elites, the international community, including its international and regional organisations, also bears a significant responsibility. This responsibility is dictated by its decisions and charters, which emphasise the necessity of making every effort to restore stability in Sudan, maintain regional peace and security, and prevent the collapse of the Sudanese state and its institutions.
It is not wise for our efforts to remain scattered. Our efforts must be sufficiently coordinated to ensure their harmony and to present a unified international and regional message to end the Sudanese crisis. It is unacceptable for us to allow the situation in Sudan to worsen further.
Arab, African, and international resolutions have clearly urged the need for coordination and cooperation among regional organisations. This is essential to support ceasefire efforts between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, implement the agreements signed in Jeddah, and facilitate the launch of a comprehensive, Sudanese-led political process.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have the same goal, our approach is similar, and the harmony of our means is what we need more than ever to ensure our message is unified and unequivocal. I hope that today's meeting will be a serious step forward in harmonising the Jeddah platform talks, the Neighbouring Countries Initiative, the efforts of the African Union High-Level Committee, IGAD, the mandate granted by the Security Council to the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the good offices and communications carried out by the League of Arab States, and our relevant resolutions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The objectives of our meeting, according to the summary paper distributed to you, are:
1. Exchanging views and drawing lessons from peace initiatives, good offices, and mediations.
2. Discussing innovative ways to enhance coordination mechanisms and harmonise efforts to overcome major difficulties and challenges.
We will work through three main axes:
1. The first axis deals with the participants’ evaluation of their good offices efforts and the peace initiatives they sponsor.
2. The second axis involves listening to ideas to strengthen coordination mechanisms presented by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Sudan.
3. The third axis, which I will ask Ambassador Lamamra to chair, will address a discussion of the areas of integration among our activities, the added value of the role of states, and the establishment of practical coordination tools that enhance coordination and integration.
We aim to conclude with a general statement outlining our points of agreement.
Let's begin our work sessions.
Thank you.
