United Nations (New York) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday appealed for warring parties in Sudan to observe a ceasefire for at least three days.

In a press conference, he stated, “This will enable civilians trapped in conflict zones to seek medical care, food, and other essential supplies.” Following a virtual meeting on the problem called by the African Union (AU), he called for the gun silencers to be put away for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which mark the end of Ramadan.

He told journalists in New York, “This must be the first step in providing respite from the fighting and opening the way for a permanent ceasefire.”

The UN, the League of Arab States, IGAD, the East African bloc, and nations committed to ending hostilities in Sudan, where competing military factions have been engaged in a power struggle for nearly a week, attended the AU conference.

Since then, hundreds of people have died, including kids. Attacks and looting have prevented humanitarians from doing life-saving operations, according to the UN.

According to Mr. Guterres, a genuine debate must take place once hostilities end in order to facilitate a smooth transition, beginning with the installation of a civilian administration.

Additionally, he denounced the targeting of assistance workers and assets and reminded the parties of their obligations under international law, particularly the need to protect aid workers’ safety and security.

“I’m also extremely worried about the situation of United Nations personnel, many of whom are trapped in their homes in areas of active conflict. We are doing everything in our power to be able to support them,” he continued.

Clashes between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on Saturday. Most of the fighting has been in the capital, where residents have been trapped in their homes for days.

Read Also: Gunfire sounds during ‘armistice’ on 4th day of Sudan battles

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The appointment of Italian diplomat Staffan de Mistura as the UN special envoy for the Sahara file was welcomed by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken today, Thursday.

“I welcome the announcement of the new United Nations Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. The United States fully supports the @UN-led political process in Western Sahara to promote a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of the region”. Blinken wrote in a tweet.

I welcome the announcement of the new United Nations Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. The United States fully supports the @UN-led political process in Western Sahara to promote a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of the region.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 6, 2021

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has named Staffan de Mistura as his personal envoy on the Sahara case, succeeding Horst Koehler, who left more than two years ago.

Last December, it was reported that former US President Donald Trump had signed a statement recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.

“Today I signed a declaration recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara,” Trump tweeted.

“Morocco’s serious and realistic autonomy proposal is the only basis for a decent and enduring solution to ensure lasting peace and prosperity!” Trump continued.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to speed up the appointment of a UN envoy to the Moroccan Sahara.

This came during a meeting Blinken held with Guterres, on Monday, to discuss US priorities at the United Nations.

A statement issued by the US State Department clarified that Secretary Blinken emphasized the US support for political negotiations.

Weeks ago, Ned Price, Spokesperson for the US State Department announced that his country will continue to support the international process in order to reach a just and lasting solution to the long-running conflict in Morocco.

“There is no update at the moment,” Price said at the time, when asked about the position of Biden’s administration adding, “I think what we have said broadly still applies” on the Sahara issue.

“We will continue to support the UN process to implement a just and lasting solution to this longstanding dispute, the dispute in Morocco”, he stated. “We’ll also support the work of the mission of the United Nations for the referendum in Western Sahara to the – to monitor the ceasefire and to prevent violence in the area.”

It should be recalled that in May 2019, the United Nations announced the resignation of its special envoy to the Sahara, the former German president, Horst Kohler, due to health reasons; the position now remains vacant.

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