Russia is ready to facilitate the settlement of the Sudan conflict and, if necessary, provide the parties with a platform for peace talks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday
KAZAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2023) Russia is ready to facilitate the settlement of the Sudan conflict and, if necessary, provide the parties with a platform for peace talks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday.
"If it is necessary, we are always ready (to provide a platform for peace talks)," Bogdanov told reporters on the sidelines of the Russia-Islamic World economic forum in the southern city of Kazan, when asked whether Moscow was willing to provide a platform for peace talks on the issue.
The senior Russian diplomat also noted that Moscow "opposes foreign interference" in Sudan's internal affairs and "imposes nothing on anyone."
"They have to settle their problems by themselves, and we are ready to assist (them) in it," Bogdanov said.
However, another question is what kind of negotiations could take place between the parties to the conflict, especially given that "there are different approaches among the Sudanese people," the diplomat added.
On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, with the epicenter located in Khartoum. The government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, issued a decree disbanding the RSF. The parties have since introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires, but the conflict has not been settled yet.
So far, at least 676 people have died and over 5,576 others have been injured in the clashes in Sudan, the World Health Organization said. Given this fact, the Sudanese military and the RSF agreed last week to refrain from any attacks that might result in injuries among civilians. The parties also agreed to allow all civilians in Sudan to leave the areas of hostilities, and pledged to protect medical personnel and public institutions in the country. The agreement was the first between the army and the RRF since the beginning of the conflict.
