President Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterpart from Namibia Hage Geingob have called for the immediate ceasefire in Sudan as the conflict between the two warring parties escalates.
Ramaphosa said there was no need for the Sudan army to be in conflict with the Rapid Support Forces as the two groups belong to one country.
He said this conflict could have been avoided and they were keeping a close eye on the work done by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate in the talks.
Ramaphosa was hosting Geingob in Pretoria on Thursday, who is on a state visit.
Geingob also said the two sides must sit down and negotiate because war would not bring peace.
Ramaphosa said he agreed on the need for dialogue between the two parties.
The RSF and the Sudan army have been fighting since the weekend, with more people getting killed and thousands injured.
A number of people were trapped in their homes with the fighting intensifying everyday.
“The situation in Sudan is most concerning and in our view is the most unnecessary conflict that is under way.
“We have called for a ceasefire, an immediate ceasefire so that that conflict is brought to an end and it should be subjected to negotiations.
“We will be looking to IGAD to give the lead in this matter so that IGAD together with the AU should be immediately, as they are, seized with this matter to ensure the safety of life, to ensure there is a ceasefire and immediate process of negotiations,” said Ramaphosa.
He added that the conflict could have been avoided.
If it was not stopped it could escalate into a full scale civil war that could plunge Sudan into more serious trouble.
This was not the time for war between the two armed groups of the state, but they needed to sit around the table and find a lasting peaceful solution, said Ramaphosa.
Geingob said he fully believed in negotiations and this was the only way to resolve the conflict in Sudan.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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