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Egypt Calls on 'Sudan’s Neighbors' to Take 'Immediate' Measures to Solve Crisis

Meeting of the Ministerial Mechanism of Sudan’s Neighboring Countries (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Meeting of the Ministerial Mechanism of Sudan’s Neighboring Countries (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Calls on 'Sudan’s Neighbors' to Take 'Immediate' Measures to Solve Crisis

Meeting of the Ministerial Mechanism of Sudan’s Neighboring Countries (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Meeting of the Ministerial Mechanism of Sudan’s Neighboring Countries (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called on Sudan’s neighboring countries to put forward “immediate measures” to respond to the “crippling humanitarian crisis” in Sudan.

During the first meeting of the ministerial mechanism of Sudan’s neighboring countries, which was held on Monday in N'Djamena, Shoukry briefed the participants on the situation in the country, pointing to the “complete ambiguity in the course of the political process.”

He also stressed “the importance of concerted efforts to convince the two parties to the conflict of the need for an immediate end to the fighting.”

The Sudan’s Neighboring Countries Summit was held last month in Cairo, to discuss a solution to the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The summit was attended by the leaders of Ethiopia, Chad, Central Africa, Eritrea, Libya and South Sudan, in addition to the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

The participants agreed to form a mechanism at the level of foreign ministers, to meet for the first time in Chad.

In a speech during Monday’s meeting, Shoukry stressed that the initiative of Sudan’s neighboring states was evidence of the “serious political will to help the country overcome its crisis and put an end to the devastating war.”

The Egyptian diplomat underlined the need to strengthen the resilience of the displaced communities in neighboring states, calling at the same time the donor community to support the capabilities of host countries to provide the required rapid response to the Sudanese people.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of Sudan’s neighboring countries discussed the Sudanese crisis, with all its security, political and humanitarian dimensions, its effects on the people and its regional and international repercussions, with the aim to put forward practical proposals to reach solutions that would put an end to the crisis, and preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan.

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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.