The United States, UK and Norway discussed the ongoing conflict in Sudan, stressing the need for coordinating international pressure to stop the fighting and protect civilians.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Troika said its three countries, whose envoys met on June 21 and 22, called on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces to rein in their members, ensure respect for human rights, and hold accountable those responsible for attacks against civilians.
During the meeting, the envoys expressed deep concern that increased fighting in Darfur, Kordofan, Blue Nile and other periphery regions risked further broadening the conflict and urged leaders of armed movements inside Sudan to stay out of the fight and support peace and a negotiated end to the conflict.
Ethnic conflict
The UN warned that the conflict in Sudan is taking an ethnic turn in Darfur, as records showed that over 560,000 people have escaped to neighboring countries and the number of displaced persons in the country is close to two million.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that nearly two million people are displaced internally, and the number of those fleeing is expected to surpass projections, while aid access remains highly uncertain.
"We've already seen over 560,000 people crossing into neighboring countries...[and] nearly two million people displaced internally," said Raouf Mazou, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, following a visit to Sudan.
Mazou noted that host communities unaffected by the conflict until now also see the consequences.
"All are in need of protection and assistance," he added. "What is also quite striking, and which needs to be underlined, is how welcoming the host populations are."
He asserted that countries of asylum must be reminded and asked to keep their borders open and ensure they have the means to provide humanitarian assistance and sometimes also development needs.
Darfur ‘the most concerning’
The Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, have been waging a bloody conflict in Sudan since April 15.
Fighting has continued since then in much of Darfur, the vast region in western Sudan, as refugees continue to flee the area suffering from civil war.
Mazou said the situation in Darfur was probably the one that concerns the agency most, explaining that a growing number of refugees fleeing to Chad "arrive with injuries."
Until now, the UNHCR estimated that these deadly clashes would result in a million refugees in six months.
While the UN refugee agency estimated that 100,000 people would arrive in Chad in six months, this figure is now estimated at 245,000, he revealed.
100 prisoners released
Meanwhile, the RSF released 100 army prisoners on the occasion of the Eid Al-Adha holiday for humanitarian reasons.
"In consideration of and respect for the human rights law, the Rapid Support Forces Command decided to release 100 prisoners of the coup forces," it said in a statement.
