Darfur Governor Meets with British Government Delegation
Governor of Darfur, Commander Mini Arko Minnawi, met today, Wednesday, with a high-level British delegation headed by Lieutenant General Edward.Allgren, Senior Military Advisor at the British Ministry of Defence for the Middle East and North Africa, and including the British Special Envoy to Sudan, Mr. Richard Crowder, and the British Military Attaché in Cairo.
During the meeting, the governor of the region provided a detailed explanation of the security and military situation in Sudan and the region’s position on the ceasefire and truce. He affirmed Darfur’s welcome of all sincere efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability, stressing that any talk of a ceasefire or peace cannot take place before the withdrawal of the Dagalo militia from the cities and state institutions and the cessation of violations committed against civilians, including killing, looting, rape, and displacement based on ethnicity and sectarianism.
He added that the militia’s withdrawal from the cities, laying down its arms, and regrouping in designated locations outside residential areas, along with the return of the police and state institutions and the safe return of citizens to their homes, is the fundamental condition for any path to peace. He emphasized that as long as some countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates, continue to support this militia, they will not be able to be part of the solution.
The meeting also addressed the United Kingdom’s overall efforts to achieve peace and security in Sudan and reviewed the trajectory of bilateral relations between the two countries and prospects for strengthening them in a way that serves mutual interests.
British envoy Richard Crowder, in a press statement following the meeting, affirmed the UK government and people’s solidarity with the Sudanese people. He emphasized his country’s support for Sudan in achieving security and stability, restoring essential services, and advancing development and recovery. He added that the UK regrets the suffering of the Sudanese people as a result of the war, noting the urgent need for a ceasefire and the necessity for all parties to adhere to the Jeddah Declaration regarding the protection of civilians.
Crowder praised the historical relations between the two countries in the fields of education, culture, and economic development. He highlighted the contributions of the Sudanese community in the UK and its active role in British national life. He stressed the need for concerted international efforts, led by the United States and its partners, to end the conflict, provide humanitarian assistance, and put an end to the atrocities witnessed in El Fasher and throughout Sudan.
He pointed out that the UK will assume the presidency of the UN Security Council next month and will host a joint conference with Germany in April to support Sudan. He affirmed London’s commitment to close coordination with Sudan’s partners in the United States, Norway, the United Nations, and the European and African Unions to ensure the achievement of lasting peace and stability.