France unveiled on Thursday the primary objectives of a conference it is hosting in Paris next Monday, addressing the situation in Sudan.
The conference, organized in collaboration with Germany and the European Union, will notably lack official Sudanese representation, a move with significant implications.
The selection of April 15th for the conference coincides with the first anniversary of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has severely impacted the democratic transition phase.
The French Foreign Ministry stated that the conference aims to achieve three main objectives: firstly, to commit to funding the international response to Sudan’s urgent humanitarian needs; secondly, to make progress in ensuring unimpeded access to aid; and thirdly, to ensure that the instability in the international system does not overshadow crises affecting Africans, including Sudan.
Sudan’s ambassador to France, Khalid Farah, expressed surprise and condemnation of his government’s absence from the conference, noting that it was not invited to participate. Meanwhile, France has extended an invitation to the ‘Progress’ coordination led by Abdalla Hamdok.
