In response to France’s intention to organize an international humanitarian conference on the situation in Sudan, Khartoum on Friday expressed surprise at the move it condemned and said it was done without consultation, coordination or participation. Monday’s conference, co-organized by France, Germany and the European Union, aims to close the funding gap to tackle the Sudanese crisis, with only six percent of the estimated $2.7 billion so far raised to address poor emergency funding in Sudan and neighbouring countries.
Khartoum on Friday condemned France’s hosting of a humanitarian conference on Sudan on April 15 “without consultation or coordination” with the government and “without its participation”.
According to a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan expressed its “deep surprise and condemnation that this conference is held on one of the affairs of Sudan, an independent and sovereign state and a member of the United Nations, without consultation or coordination with its government and without its participation.”
Neither of Sudan’s warring sides has been invited to attend the “donors” conference in Paris, which will seek to address poor emergency funding in Sudan and neighboring countries and shortfalls of more than $2.5 billion.
The pro-army Sudanese Foreign Ministry expressed its “deep surprise and condemnation” for holding “this conference on a matter of Sudan, an independent and sovereign state and a member of the United Nations, without consultation or coordination with its government and without its participation.”
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry condemned the conference organizers for excluding the two parties and accused them of “hiding behind the pretext of neutrality between what the organizers call parties to the conflict to justify Sudan’s neglect in organizing this meeting,” denouncing “equality between the legitimate government and the national army on the one hand, and a multinational terrorist militia.”
Sudan’s foreign ministry criticised the French government for hosting the conference, saying its behaviour represented “a grave disregard for international law, the UN Charter and the principle of state sovereignty”.
France invited government officials from neighbouring countries to the conference.
Mediation efforts faltered
Sudan’s foreign ministry has moved its offices to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) swept through the capital Khartoum and other cities in the early stages of the war.
Mediation efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia have stalled for months. U.S. special envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello on Thursday expressed hope the Paris conference would help restart talks on Sudan.
Perriello said Saudi Arabia had committed to hosting a new round of talks and that the United States hoped to announce a date soon.
In one year, the war in Sudan has killed thousands of people, including up to 15,000 people, in a West Darfur city, according to UN experts.
The war has pushed the country of 48 million people to the brink of famine, destroyed already dilapidated infrastructure and displaced more than 8.5 million people, according to the United Nations.
