UN Says Food Trucks Ready to Roll From Chad into Sudan
Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).
UN Says Food Trucks Ready to Roll From Chad into Sudan
Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).
The United Nations said Friday it was ready to start delivering food into war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region after the government decided to reopen a key border crossing with Chad.
The months-long closure of the Adre crossing has been a major concern for humanitarian organisations struggling to get food and supplies into Darfur as the conflict rages on.
War erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The conflict has unleashed one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to AFP.
More than 25 million people -- more than half its population -- face acute hunger. Famine has been declared in a Darfur displacement camp.
The UN's World Food Program welcomed the reopening of the Adre crossing and said it was in a race against time to save lives.
"The opening of this critical humanitarian corridor through Adre will enable us to deliver aid into Sudan's conflict-riddled Darfur region, where famine was confirmed just two weeks ago," WFP Sudan spokeswoman Leni Kinzli told a media briefing from Nairobi.
"Vital food and nutrition supplies" would be taken through the crossing in coming weeks, she added.
"WFP urgently needs all other border crossings into Sudan to open," she said.
She said two convoys with nearly 6,000 tonnes of food for around 500,000 people were being loaded, destined for Darfur areas at risk of famine, as soon as government clearance was received.
Tine, the only other crossing from Chad into Sudan, has been largely impassable for nearly a month due to floods. Thirty WFP trucks have been unable to cross into Darfur.
More than 50 WFP trucks with around 4,800 tonnes of food and nutrition are also stuck in locations across Sudan due to the flooding.
The decision to open the Adre crossing comes as the United States starts talks in Switzerland aimed at brokering a ceasefire and improving humanitarian access.
The Sudanese armed forces (SAF) have not come to the talks, which are being held in an undisclosed location. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, is convening the meeting.
"The opening of Adre border crossing is an important result at a crucial time for humanitarian efforts to deliver assistance to those most in need and to avoid a worsening famine," he said on the X social media platform.
"We continue our efforts to save Sudanese lives and silence the guns. The RSF remains here ready for talks to start; SAF needs to decide to come."
Kinzli said around 755,000 people faced catastrophic hunger, out of options and surviving by eating grass and leaves.
"It is critical for the warring parties to leave the battlefield and show up at the negotiation table so we can get food moving to hunger-struck communities across the country in time, before it is too late," she said.
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain Unitedhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5095870-sdf-commander-asharq-al-awsat-syria-must-remain-united
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.
He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.
Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.
*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?
We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.
*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?
No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?
We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.
We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.
*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?
Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.
*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?
We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.
About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.
*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?
The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.
*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?
The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.
*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?
Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.
*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?
We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?
We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.
*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?
Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.
We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.
*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?
Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.
