A section of youth leaders under their umbrella body of the International Conference on Great Lakes region (ICGLR Regional Youth Forum) has called upon the conflicting forces in Sudan to immediately cease fire and resort to constructive dialogue.
The fight is between the two forces who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Close to 200 people have lost their lives in these clashes, according to media reports.
In the statement on Thursday, the ICGLR Regional Youth Forum said that the ongoing fight has grave implications for the youth population of Sudan and the aspirations of young Africans everywhere.
“The ICGLR Youth Forum emphasizes the importance of upholding the principles of peace and security enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” Jacob Eyeru the ICGLR Regional Youth Forum Chairperson said.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to recall the rights and dignity of all civilians, including young people, and to refrain from using violence as a means of resolving political differences. As young people in the Great Lakes Region, we recognize that peace and stability are essential for realizing our full potential and building prosperity- our societies,” he added
ICGLR Regional Youth Forum) urged all stakeholders in Sudan to prioritize the interests and aspirations of young people in their efforts to resolve the conflict, and to involve young people in the peacebuilding process. The ICGLR Youth Forum recognizes the importance of multilateral cooperation and dialogue in promoting peace and security in Africa.
“We call on the international community to support the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations to promote durable peace, security, and develop- meant in Sudan and the Great Lakes Region, including through the implementation of relevant frameworks such as the African Union’s silencing the Guns initiative,” Eyeru said
“We also call on the international community to support the establishment of youth-led peacebuilding initiatives in Sudan, and to prioritize the needs and aspirations of young people in their efforts to build a more peaceful and just world,” he added.
