Paris (AFP) – The international conference on Sudan to be hosted by France in mid-April in Paris aims to “shed light on this very serious crisis” that the international community must not forget, Foreign Minister Stephane Sigourné said.
A source close to the minister told reporters, including an AFP correspondent: “We are facing a massive humanitarian and geopolitical crisis… The disintegration of Sudan will have catastrophic consequences for the entire region.”
“In the context of growing international crises, we intend to highlight this very serious crisis that must not be forgotten,” he added.
Minister Stephane Segurné said Wednesday that the conference, to be held April 15 at the ministry’s conference center, should allow the country, which has been torn apart by the war that has been going on since April 2023, between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy and Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The United Nations and partners appealed for $4.1 billion on February 7 to respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs of civilians, including more than 1.6 million people forced to flee to neighbouring countries.
Some 25 million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, need assistance, and nearly 18 million are severely food insecure, according to the United Nations.
The French minister’s circles said the funds raised during the Paris conference would be allocated to humanitarian work not only in Sudan but also in neighbouring countries “hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees”.
A diplomatic source said the conference, co-chaired by the European Union, “should also allow for discussion of humanitarian access, which is really difficult”, pointing to the need for a ceasefire “at least at the local level” to deliver aid.
Sudan’s neighbouring countries, relevant international and regional organizations, all major international donors present in this part of Africa, EU Member States, humanitarian actors, UN agencies and all large NGOs were invited to the conference.
“We would like to take advantage of this conference to have a discussion on various mediations in order to move towards a political solution,” the same source said.
