Question NW169 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Reply:

It would be recalled that South Africa, immediately after the start of the hostilities, issued a statement wherein it strongly condemned the fighting and called for peace and calm among the parties involved in the conflict, in keeping with the AU objective of silencing the guns on the Continent. South Africa appealed to the different factions of the Sudanese army to immediately cease all fighting, spare the Sudanese people any further violence and immediately return to the negotiations table to agree on a sustainable military and security sector reform programme as part of the Final Agreement towards the restoration of a civilian-led transitional government in Sudan. South Africa also joined the UN Secretary-General in calling on the parties to return to the negotiating table and continue their dialogue with the aim of transiting the country to a civilian-led government.

Moreover, on 08 May 2023, South Africa issued a second statement, reiterating the centrality of the African Union and IGAD in the pre-negotiation and subsequent Jeddah talks to ensure long-lasting solutions to the challenges faced by Sudan, and commended the role played by the President of South Sudan, HE Salva Kiir, African leaders and others, who worked tirelessly to negotiate several cease-fire agreements between the parties. In keeping with the principle of African solutions to African problems, South Africa expressed the hope that the AU and IGAD will continue to play a central role in the current and subsequent talks and reiterated its call for both parties to negotiate an agreement that would end the conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, finally also noting that a peaceful Sudan, led by a civilian government, is essential not only for Sudan but also for the broader region and the Continent.

In addition, South Africa is guided by its Foreign Policy Objectives and its values of advancing peace on the continent and globally, informed by resolution of conflict through dialogue. South Africa in line with the prescripts of the African Union, supports the International Governmental Authority for Development stance taken during the 41st Summit in Dember 2023, urging the two warring parties to consider the principle of engaging face to face to among other, pave the way for a series of confidence-building measures that will lead to the launch of a political process and hopefully the end of hostilities.