Uganda’s President, Gen (RTD) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has reaffirmed his dedication to fostering peace by encouraging the two conflicting parties in Sudan to come together for dialogue. In a recent meeting with the United Nations Envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, at State House Entebbe, the President emphasized that the underlying issue of the conflict stems from the promotion of identity politics, which can undermine stability in a nation as diverse as Sudan.
The gathering included Henry Okello Oryem, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, alongside UN representatives Nayla Hajjar and Hanan Elbada.
The President called on both parties to halt their hostilities and focus on empowering the citizens.
“I welcomed His Excellency Ramtane Lamamra, the UN Special Envoy to Sudan, who updated me on the ongoing conflict. Uganda is still open to mediating between the warring factions; however, we urge all parties to cease hostilities and empower the citizens,” President Museveni noted.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between two prominent factions of its military government: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with its allies known as the Janjaweed coalition, headed by Hemedti. Lamamra reassured President Museveni of the United Nations’ unwavering commitment to aiding in the resolution of this conflict.
The UN envoy also brought attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, emphasizing that despite attempts to establish localized ceasefires, hostilities persist, putting civilians in jeopardy.
Over 430 individuals have reportedly lost their lives to cholera in the last month, according to Sudan’s health ministry.
The total number of infections has surged to approximately 14,000, as stated in their announcement. Delivering medical assistance to the impacted regions is extremely challenging due to ongoing conflict.
Estimates indicate that as many as 150,000 people may have died since the violence erupted last year.
A report from the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) indicates that the health system in Sudan has completely deteriorated, resulting in alarming mortality rates among pregnant women and newborns.
Unverified sources suggest that over nine million individuals have been displaced from their homes, raising concerns about a potential famine due to the inability to cultivate crops. Additionally, there are grave warnings regarding the possibility of genocide targeting non-Arab communities in the western region of Darfur.