South Sudan Foreign Minister Stresses Continuous Efforts to Stop the War

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dau
South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dau
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South Sudan Foreign Minister Stresses Continuous Efforts to Stop the War

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dau
South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dau

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dau warned against the expansion of the war in Sudan, which he said directly affects his country in terms of security, economy, politics and society.

He noted that the long border between the two countries, from east to west, embraces 12 crossings, and has allowed the evacuation of more than 40,000 nationals of 11 countries from Europe, Africa, Asia and America.

In a telephone interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Juba, Dau stressed that his country was exerting continuous efforts for the success of an expected meeting with the parties to the conflict, with the aim to conduct a dialogue that would stop the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

“There is an urgent need for material and logistical support from humanitarian organizations, to meet the growing demand, in terms of relief, food, shelter and treatment for refugees in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan...” He stated. “If the war continues until the end of the month, we will expect the number of refugees and those fleeing the country to exceed 170,000, as we receive about 500 people every day.”

He explained that the initiative launched by President Salva Kiir Mayardit for a one-week truce in Sudan, came as a result of an extension of the initiative launched by the president on April 16, and was accepted by both parties to the conflict.

According to Dau, President Salva Kiir appealed, through direct contact with the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Mohammad Hamdan Hamidti, to stop the war, and sit around a dialogue table to resolve the crisis between the two sides.

Dau noted that the initiative put forward by the president of South Sudan was based on four axes, including a one-week cease-fire, followed by each side appointing its delegation for the talks, then specifying the location and timing of the dialogue, and finally launching the peace talks.

The foreign minister pointed to fierce clashes in Khartoum, stressing that those led to the suspension of basic services at the airport.

He also emphasized the importance of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to evacuate nationals from more than 96 countries and expressed appreciation for the Saudi-American initiative to end the conflict.

Dau said that any conflict, war or instability in Sudan will affect the countries of the region as a whole. He stressed that Juba welcomes any endeavors of the African Union, or those led by Saudi Arabia, America or other countries, as they all fall in the same direction to stop the war and achieve peace.

“Our vision is for the Sudanese to try to manage the dialogue themselves, but on the other hand, this does not preclude the engagement of other parties in the region to contribute to finding possible solutions to the crisis and achieving peace,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Regarding the effectiveness of the emergency program of the United Nations organizations on the border between the two countries, Dau explained that the border areas suffer from many humanitarian problems due to the presence of several refugee camps.

“In 2010 and 2012, there were 340,000 Sudanese refugees from the border states, such as the states of the Kordofan and White Nile regions, while the current conflict exacerbated the humanitarian situation, which requires urgent aid,” he stated.

The foreign minister said that South Sudan’s oil exports, through Port Sudan, have not been affected by the conflict so far, pointing out that the pipeline connecting Juba to Port Sudan, was not subjected to any targeting.



Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
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Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anatolii Petrenko, stressed that his country’s “top priority is energy support in multiple ways,” pointing to preparatory measures between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine concerning a Saudi aid package, most of which consists of energy equipment.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Petrenko said that the Kingdom has been assisting Ukrainian civilians since the early days of the “full-scale Russian invasion,” as he described it. He said Saudi aid “has helped provide decent living conditions for our people, who have been forced by the war to relocate to safe areas within the country. It has also helped us maintain citizens' access to medical services and sustain social infrastructure.”
The ambassador emphasized the difficult period Ukraine is facing due to “energy shortages caused by regular Russian attacks on critical infrastructure,” which previously ensured daily needs for urban and municipal areas. He expressed concern about the approaching winter season and the severe drop in temperatures across the country.
Petrenko pointed to the need for energy resources, as well as access to light, water and heat, to enable the Ukrainian agricultural sector to continue contributing to global and regional food security.
He expressed his country’s firm belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia’s support to bring energy self-sufficiency in Ukraine, presently and in the long term.”
He added: “Through our united efforts, we can enhance the green energy agenda by smartly utilizing diverse renewable energy sources as key resources that can give us complete energy independence.”
The Ukrainian ambassador described the Saudi friendship as “an Arab generosity.” He noted that both Ukraine and the Kingdom were jointly studying “the latest innovations and sustainable technologies, such as combined heat and power plants and piston turbines, which could offset energy losses in various regions of Ukraine and thus prevent humanitarian crises in the winter season for hundreds of thousands of people.”
On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Petrenko stated that his country “stands firmly to celebrate another anniversary of its independence, while appreciating the immense contributions and aid provided by international partners and friends, including Saudi Arabia, which holds a prominent position in leading humanitarian efforts in the region and encourages others to follow the same approach.”
“This represents a success story that will open a new chapter in energy resilience, which helps us achieve national independence,” he underlined.
The ambassador added that Ukraine highly values its bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
“On behalf of my country, I express my gratitude to Saudi Arabia, both the government and the people, for everything they are doing to alleviate the humanitarian challenges facing civilians today,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Riyadh continues to send planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF).
This follows an agreement and memorandum of understanding signed by both sides last year, which included providing an additional humanitarian aid package to Ukraine amounting to $400 million, as well as emergency medical and shelter aid valued at $10 million for refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries, particularly Poland, in coordination with the Polish government and UN organizations.