Former president Thabo Mbeki has joined calls for an end to the conflict in Sudan following the clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army as more people continue to lose their lives.
Mbeki’s call comes after also the UN and the African Union have urged the two sides to end the conflict immediately.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile also called for the cessation of hostilities between the two rival groups saying only peace would resolve the challenges in that country.
Mashatile is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy in South Sudan and also leads peace missions in Africa.
This is the role that South Africa’s deputy presidents have played over many years.
The army and RSP started the fighting on Saturday and the conflict escalated by this week.
Mbeki said the conflict would not end the problems by Sudan and what the people of that country wanted was the end of the war.
He said if the two sides continued to fight it would not lead to a peaceful transition to civilian rule, which the people of Sudan wanted.
“The current violent conflict by the official armed Sudan formations will not solve any of these problems but will, instead, further postpone their resolution.
“Accordingly, I appeal to Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo immediately to end the fighting which, among others, is imposing serious negative consequences on the civilian population,” said Mbeki.
Mashatile, who was delivering closing remarks at the African Continental Free Trade Area business forum on Tuesday evening, said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) must continue with its efforts to end the conflict.
President of South Sudan Salva Kirr, his counterpart from Kenya William Ruto and the president of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh are part of IGAD to find a solution in Sudan.
Mashatile said they were deeply concerned when the conflict broke out over the weekend between the two sides.
“It is in this context that we reiterate South Africa’s deep concern about the fighting that broke out in the sister African country of Sudan over the weekend between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
“We are particularly concerned about rising numbers of civilian loss of life, the destruction of private and public infrastructure, the likely humanitarian disaster that is likely to arise with the entrapment of civilians in their houses with no access to food and other basic necessities. Equally concerning is the impact of the conflict on Sudan’s neighbours,” said Mashatile.
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