Qatar dispatched an airplane filled with 14 tons of humanitarian and medical supplies to Sudan, the Qatari News Agency reported on Wednesday. The plane arrived at Port Sudan Airport, marking the latest assistance effort from the Arab country amidst the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The cargo, sent by the Qatar Fund for Development and the Qatari Red Crescent, takes the total aid extended by Qatar to Sudan up to 371 tons. This gesture of solidarity comes as Qatar’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Sudanese people and its full backing for their resilience in facing the challenging circumstances due to the continued warfare.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry reiterated the country’s dedication to establishing security and stability in the Republic of Sudan. The dispatch is part of Qatar’s persistent efforts to help its fellow African nation navigate the repercussions of the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese army and the rapid support forces, most concentrated in the capital, Khartoum, causing hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries.
This military unrest has been raging since 15 April and has highlighted the disagreements between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese armed forces, and the commander of the rapid support forces, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. These disagreements became apparent after the signing of the “Framework Agreement,” which set the stage for a transition period between military and civilian elements last December. This agreement advocated for the army’s withdrawal from politics and the handover of power to civilians.
Dagalo has accused the Sudanese army of planning to stay in power and refusing to transfer authority to civilians, following the army’s demands to integrate the rapid support forces under the banner of the armed forces. Meanwhile, the army considered the moves by the rapid support forces as rebellion against the state.
The final political agreement to resolve the crisis in Sudan was scheduled to be signed on April 1, followed by the signing of the constitutional document on April 6. However, due to differences in views between the leaders of the armed forces and the leaders of the rapid support forces regarding the timeline for integrating the rapid support forces into the army, this did not happen.
With the aid flight from Qatar, Sudan receives much-needed assistance and a strong symbol of international solidarity in these challenging times.
