The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called on the two sides of the Sudan conflict to stop the fighting and work towards advancing the political transition process, as the African country once again finds itself engulfed in conflict that has resulted in numerous casualties. On Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement urging parties in Sudan to cease hostilities and prevent the escalation of tensions, while also emphasizing the importance of dialogue to resolve the current crisis.
According to media reports, clashes erupted on Saturday morning in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in various parts of the capital Khartoum and surrounding areas. The Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate reported that at least 56 civilians were killed and nearly 600 people were wounded, including civilians and fighters. The situation on the ground in Khartoum has been described as chaotic, with gridlocked traffic and armed battles taking place at key locations in the city. Many civilians are reportedly trapped in public places such as the airport, banks, and campuses, with reports of injuries and deaths from stray bullets.
Since Saturday, the capital has experienced disruptions in power, water supply, and internet access, with markets closed and a government order for people to stay at home. Chinese nationals in Sudan have been urged to stay safe and avoid going out, with the Chinese Embassy in Sudan stating that it has not received any reports of Chinese nationals being killed or injured.
Experts believe that Sudan’s frequent political turmoil since the 2019 coup has made the country more susceptible to foreign interference during social conflicts. Certain Western forces have been cautioned against interfering in Sudan’s domestic affairs, as heightened political divisions not only harm the lives of Sudanese people but also pose risks to investments made by other countries in the Horn of Africa.
The tensions in Sudan have been triggered by disagreements over the integration of the RSF into the armed forces and the authority overseeing the process, which is a key condition of Sudan’s unsigned transition agreement with political groups, according to He Wenping, director of the African Studies Section at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Sudan has been undergoing a transition towards democracy after the ousting of long-term ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, but conflicts between military groups and political parties based on tribal and ethnic kinship have proven difficult to reconcile.
Some experts have pointed to increased interference by Western countries, particularly the US, in African countries’ internal affairs, imposing models designed by rich countries on African nations, which has further fueled social conflicts in the region. US interference in Sudanese affairs, including its support for the country’s division and the 2019 coup, has been widely criticized by many countries. During the 2021 coup in Sudan, the Russian Foreign Ministry attributed the loss of confidence in the transitional authorities by Sudanese citizens to large-scale foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs, resulting in protests and instability.
Sudan’s instability not only affects the country itself but also has wider implications for the Horn of Africa, where many countries, including China, have significant investments. He Wenping urged Western powers to refrain from deep engagement in the current conflict and instead push for a peaceful resolution.
As Sudan continues to grapple with internal conflicts during its transition process, the international community remains hopeful for a peaceful resolution and calls for an end to the fighting and meaningful political dialogue to move the country towards stability.
