Western Countries Vow to Support Sudan in Post-Civilian Transition

People rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule, on October 21. (AFP)
People rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule, on October 21. (AFP)
TT
20

Western Countries Vow to Support Sudan in Post-Civilian Transition

People rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule, on October 21. (AFP)
People rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule, on October 21. (AFP)

A group of western countries vowed to help Sudan unlock its “substantial” economic potential after a return to a credible civilian transition.

The United States, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement that was released by the US embassy in Khartoum on Monday.

The signatories condemned the loss of another protestor’s life on Oct. 23 and called on security forces to refrain from using violence against protestors and to fulfil their obligation to protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly across the entire country. 

“We remember the civilians who gave their lives calling for a democratic transition and are inspired by those who peacefully continue to demand change,” the statement read, as the Sudanese people prepare to mark the one-year anniversary of the military takeover.

The western group reiterated its continued and united support for an inclusive agreement to establish a civilian-led transitional government in Sudan that restores the country’s democratic transition.

“Such an agreement is urgently needed to prevent further deterioration in the economic and humanitarian situation,” the statement stressed.

“We remain committed to helping the Sudanese people achieve the goals of their revolution, and a country that is stable, prosperous, and at peace with itself and its neighbors.”

According to the statement, the Sudanese Bar Association initiative represents a “credible and inclusive framework to guide negotiations.”

It noted that the initiative has enjoyed the broadest support of any initiative to date and remains open for other parties to make amendments to address their pressing concerns.

They underlined their conviction that the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) “Tripartite” Mechanism has an important role to play in facilitating agreement.

They further urged all Sudanese actors to prioritize national interest over narrow political calculation to engage constructively in dialogue.



Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 29

A Palestinian girl, wounded in an Israeli strike that killed people, who gathered to collect water from a distribution point, according to medics, receives treatment at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
A Palestinian girl, wounded in an Israeli strike that killed people, who gathered to collect water from a distribution point, according to medics, receives treatment at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
TT
20

Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 29

A Palestinian girl, wounded in an Israeli strike that killed people, who gathered to collect water from a distribution point, according to medics, receives treatment at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
A Palestinian girl, wounded in an Israeli strike that killed people, who gathered to collect water from a distribution point, according to medics, receives treatment at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 29 Palestinians, including six children near a water distribution point.

The attacks came with apparent deadlock in a week of indirect talks in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in the territory.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that Gaza City was hit by several strikes overnight and in the early morning, killing eight, "including women and children" and wounding others.

An Israeli airstrike hit a family home near the Nuseirat refugee camp, south of Gaza City, resulting in "10 martyrs and several injured", Bassal said.

In central Gaza, six children were among eight people killed when a drone "hit a potable water distribution point in an area for displaced people" in the Nuseirat camp, he added.

Several other people were wounded, he said.

In the territory's south, three people were killed when Israeli jets hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the coastal Al-Mawasi area, according to the civil defense spokesman.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has recently intensified its operations across Gaza, more than 21 months into the war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack.

On Saturday, the military said fighter jets had hit more than 35 "Hamas terror targets" around Beit Hanun in northern Gaza.

The vast majority of Gaza's population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war, which has created dire humanitarian conditions in the territory.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency and other parties.