Musings From Abroad

Sudan: UN envoy, Perthes says warring parties now open to negotiation

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2023

A United Nations official, Volker Perthes has revealed that warring national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are now open to negotiations and a permanent ceasefire.

Perthes said although a precise time has not been set for talks, the sides had nominated representatives for talks which had been suggested for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to “actually sit together”.

In a briefing a few days ago, Perthes said he had previously informed the Security Council that both sides believed they could prevail in the conflict, but he also noted that attitudes were shifting.

“They both think they will win, but they are both sort of more open to negotiations, the word ‘negotiations’ or ‘talks’ was not there in their discourse in the first week or so,” he said.

Army leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Friday he would not sit with the RSF’s “rebel” leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who said he would only talk after the army ceased hostilities.

Despite their adamant posture, Perthes maintained that the parties were also saying, “ok we accept … some form of talks”.

“They have both accepted that this war cannot continue,” he added.

Perthes claimed that early April saw indications of the impending war as foreign and local mediators fought to defuse the situation, but that they mistakenly believed a “temporary de-escalation” had been reached the night before hostilities started.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has described the clashes as a “power struggle that puts Sudan’s future at risk and could cause suffering for years and set back development for decades”.

According to the UN, at least 427 people have been killed and over 3,700 injured due to the conflict. Countries and several humanitarian organisations have evacuated or relocated their citizens and staff from troubled locations.

Related Topics:Featured Sudan UN Volker Perthes

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Musings From Abroad

Swiss company Mercuria partners Zambia’s IDC in new metals trading firm

Published

24 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by Swiss commodities trader, Mercuria, on Thursday, it has established a metals trading arm with Zambia, the second-largest producer of copper in Africa.

The trading unit is jointly owned by Mercuria and an arm of Zambia’s Industrial Development Company (IDC), and its purpose is to allow Zambia to engage directly in the minerals trading market.

The joint venture “envisages the establishment of a vehicle to market and trade Zambian copper by mutual leverage,” according to a statement from Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of IDC.

The southern African nation wants to increase copper output to roughly 3 million metric tonnes within the next ten years, and in 2023, it produced roughly 698,000 tonnes of copper, down from 763,000 metric tonnes the year before.

In June, the Zambian government announced that it would establish a minerals trading unit.

Investors including First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Gold are ramping up production, with output set to receive a further boost once Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines restart activity.

“Our joint venture with IDC marks a significant milestone for Zambia as it positions itself more strategically in the global minerals market,” Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said in the statement.

Musings From Abroad

Blinken to reveal UN Sudan funding additions

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Additional financing for humanitarian aid to Sudan and initiatives to strengthen civil society in the nation, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, will be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken will make many announcements when he leads a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on Thursday, which will centre on humanitarian aid and civilian protection, Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Price, the announcements would include more money for humanitarian help, initiatives to strengthen civil society, and the return of democracy.

“Sudan, unfortunately, has risked becoming a forgotten conflict,” Price said.

“So part of the reason the secretary … opted to convene a signature event on this very topic is to make sure it remains in the spotlight,” Price said.

For almost 18 months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have been engaged in combat, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced over 12 million people from their homes and made it difficult for U.N. organisations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces preceded a planned shift to civilian administration, which sparked the conflict in April 2023.

Although the army declined to join this year’s U.S.-mediated peace negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties did pledge to increase assistance access, which prevented any movement towards a ceasefire.

Price stated that before President Joe Biden’s term ends next month, the United States would keep collaborating with allies to enhance humanitarian access in Sudan and eventually end hostilities.

“We are going to leave nothing on the field in our efforts to work with allies, with partners, with the Sudanese stakeholders themselves, on the issues that matter most – humanitarian access, the provision of humanitarian assistance, ultimately, the process by which we can work to get to a cessation of hostilities, which is most urgently needed,” he said.