Sudan’s foreign minister-designate, Ali al-Sadiq, said Juba was the best place to mediate to resolve the conflict in his country, following a meeting with the President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The State of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit In another context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan condemned the meeting of the representative of the Rapid Support Forces with the head of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa.

Al-Burhan and Salwa Kiir met for less than an hour in Juba, on Al-Burhan’s second foreign visit after Egypt, which he visited last week from Khartoum.

Al-Sadiq said – in news reports after the two parties met – that the two countries have been together for a long time and are aware of the problems and needs of the Sudanese people.

He explained that the discussions dealt with the ongoing attacks by SPLM-N led by Abdul Aziz Al-Hilu against the Government of Sudan and its people.

He said, “Because of our common destiny and eternal and historical ties, we Sudanese believe that South Sudan is best suited to mediate to resolve the crisis that Sudan is witnessing.”

For his part, South Sudan’s Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Lomoro said the country’s president “is very passionate and knowledgeable about Sudan’s issues and should be elected to mediate to resolve Sudan’s crises”.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Dao said, “The visit is an opportunity to inform the South’s leadership of the developments in the situation in Sudan and the possibilities of finding a possible solution to the Sudan crisis.”

Sudan and South Sudan have long common borders that require coordination and cooperation to secure and protect them and make them outlets for the common good of the people of the two countries, said Salwa Kiir. A solution to the crisis Sudan is experiencing.”

Given the social ties that bind the two peoples and the good friendship between Al-Burhan and Salva Kiir, Daw assured that his country would be a suitable place to find a solution to Sudan’s crisis.

Rejection and condemnation

On the other hand, Yusuf Ibrahim Essad, adviser to the Rapid Support Forces, said he met with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and discussed with him the current developments and ways to achieve them. A comprehensive solution within the framework of the vision proposed by the Rapid Support Forces to end the wars and address the roots of the crisis.

Ezzat explained that Faki presented the vision of the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Commission for African Development (IGAD) to resolve the political crisis in Sudan, stop the war and solve it in an unconventional way.

In response, Sudan’s foreign ministry condemned Musa Faki’s meeting with the adviser to the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, describing it as a dangerous precedent.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the meeting gives undeserved legitimacy to armed opposition movements and is a clear violation of the systems and practices of the Organization and all international organizations.

Sudan’s foreign ministry warned that the head of the African Union Commission was going too far in dealing with militants who commit atrocities against civilians, women and children, as described in the report.

He confirmed that the Sudanese embassy in Addis Ababa had requested a meeting with the head of the commission to “protest this move and find out its motives and reasons”.

Audio recording

In a related context, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, known as Hemeti, Mohamed Hamdan Tagalo, said in an audio recording attributed to him that al-Burhan rejected his plan to create a dual force between the Rapid Support Forces and the army.

Hemeti added in the audio recording, “Burhan accused us of treason, but the army took the initiative to attack us and impose war on us.” He confirmed that Al-Burhan promised and broke the promise because he planned the plot.

Deaths in clashes again

At the field level, Rapid Support announced that its forces today shot down a military Antonov fighter jet in the Abu Hamama area south of Khartoum.

Rapid Support Forces, in a statement

Today, the Air Defense Forces of the Rapid Support Forces shot down an Antonov warplane belonging to the coup plotters and the remnants of the former terror regime. Their use in populated areas is prohibited with little regard for killing them.

– Rapid Support Forces – Rapid Support Forces (@RSFSudan) September 4, 2023

Al Jazeera’s correspondent said earlier that the army and Rapid Support had exchanged artillery and missile strikes in central and eastern Omdurman, and that Rapid Support had fired ground-based anti-aircraft guns at army aircraft.

Yesterday, Sunday, at least 23 people were killed in fighting between the two sides in Al-Khudir and Karari areas of Omdurman, near Al-Raqi Hospital, and in Al-Masid town, south of Khartoum. North of Gezira State.

Although the military announced that five of its members were killed west of Khartoum, Rapid Support blamed the military air force for the deaths of 14 civilians in the town of Nyala, South Darfur state, and others in the East Nile region.

Sudan has seen bloody armed clashes between armed forces and Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, killing more than 3,000 and wounding twice as many, according to the health ministry.

1.8 million refugees

On another level, in conjunction with today’s announcement by the United Nations, one billion dollars is needed to help those fleeing Sudan, expected to reach 1.8 million people this year, to escape the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

More than a million people have already fled Sudan to neighboring countries amid clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum and other regions.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees confirmed that the amount was “double” what was requested last May, and double the number of people fleeing the fighting than the UNHCR had expected last May shortly after the fighting began.

The United Nations is struggling to raise funds that the international community pledged months ago to help Sudan.