Tag: Guterres

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UAE President, Guterres discuss regional developments

They called for restraint and prioritising the voice of wisdom to spare the region from further conflict that harms all and hinders cooperation and development efforts that benefit its peoples…reports Asian Lite News

AE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, discussed during a phone call cooperation between the UAE and the United Nations, especially in the humanitarian field, and support for peace and development regionally and globally.

During the call, the two sides also discussed a number of regional and international issues of common concern, foremost among them developments in the Middle East and the need to contain tensions and prevent escalation, as this entails a serious threat to the security and stability of the region and international security and peace.

They called for restraint and prioritising the voice of wisdom to spare the region from further conflict that harms all and hinders cooperation and development efforts that benefit its peoples.

UAE President and the Secretary-General of the United Nations reviewed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the importance of working to establish an immediate ceasefire to prevent further humanitarian tragedies among civilians, ensure the flow of adequate and unimpeded aid, and enable international organisations to carry out their humanitarian role.

They also underscored the importance of advancing towards a comprehensive and just peace based on the two-state solution, as it is the only viable path towards achieving lasting security and stability in the region.

During the call, the UAE President stressed the UAE’s keenness to cooperate with the United Nations and various parties regionally and internationally in order to maintain peace in light of the difficult circumstances that the region is experiencing.

For his part, Antonio Guterres expressed his appreciation for the UAE’s support for peace and its notable global humanitarian efforts, particularly in providing assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip. (ANI/WAM)

UAE Chamber boosts trade cooperation with Colombia

The UAE Federation of the Chambers signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Colombian counterparts to boost investment and trade opportunities between the two nations. These MoUs also establish a joint business council.

The agreements align with the recently signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and Colombia. This partnership aims to foster a new era of productive collaboration, mutual economic growth, and unlock further commercial and investment prosperity for both countries.

Ahmed Khalifa Al Qubaisi, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, signed the MoUs on behalf of the UAE Chambers. Representing Colombia were the Executive Vice President of the Colombian Chamber of Commerce, and Paola Buendia Garcia, Executive Vice President of the National Business Association of Colombia.

Abdullah Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the UAE Chambers and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber’s Board of Directors, highlighted the importance of these MoUs. He stated that the agreements support national goals aligned with the UAE-Colombia CEPA. The MoUs will facilitate knowledge and expertise exchange, further strengthen commercial and investment cooperation between businesses, and contribute to driving comprehensive and sustainable development.

The parties will exchange knowledge and training experiences in economic development. The MoU aims to increase commercial opportunities and expand economic and industrial cooperation between companies in both countries.

The agreement facilitates trade and economic delegation visits between the two countries. Additionally, it encourages collaboration to enable companies from both nations to participate in international events, exhibitions, and conferences. (ANI/WAM)

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Guterres hopes ‘everyone’s rights protected’ in elections

Kevadia, Oct 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres at the launch of the Mission LiFE at Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, in Kevadia on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

This comes after US State Department doubled down on its remarks that that they encourage “fair, transparent and timely legal processes” on the issue, a day after a US diplomat was summoned to communicate India’s “strong objections” to the earlier remarks…reports Asian Lite News

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes that in India’s elections, “everyone’s rights are protected”, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said.

“What we very much hope that in India, as in any country that is having elections, that everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that is free and fair”, he said on Thursday in response to a question from a Bangladeshi journalist at his daily briefing.

In making a general statement, Dujarric did not directly react to the journalist’s assertion that India was at a “crisis point” mentioning the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and what he said were the freezing of Congress Party funds.

‘Any external imputation unacceptable’

Meanwhile, stating that India is proud of its “robust and independent” democratic institutions, the Ministry of External Affairs called the remarks by US State Department on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as “unwarranted”, adding that any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is “completely unacceptable.”

This comes after US State Department doubled down on its remarks that that they encourage “fair, transparent and timely legal processes” on the issue, a day after a US diplomat was summoned to communicate India’s “strong objections” to the earlier remarks.

Addressing a weekly press briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Yesterday, India had lodged its strong objection and protest with a senior official from the US Embassy with regards to the comments made by the US State Department.”

He further emphasised that mutual respect and understanding is imperative for the foundation of international relations and urged the states to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of other countries.

“The recent remarks by the US State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable. In India, the legal process are driven only by the rule of law. Anyone who has a similar ethos, especially fair democracies, should have no objection in appreciating this fact. India is proud of its robust and independent democratic institutions,” Jaiswal said.

“We are committed to protect them from any form of undue external influences. Mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of international relations and states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller was asked about his response to India’s summoning US diplomat over comments on Delhi CM Kejriwal’s arrest and freezing of Congress party’s bank accounts, to which he said that they are following these actions closely.

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Guterres Urges Security Council Reform for Chaotic World

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 6, 2023. (Manuel Elías/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

In overhauling the Council, its “working methods must also be updated so that it can make progress — even when members are sharply divided,” he said…reports Asian Lite News

Setting out his priorities for the year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call to reform the Security Council to make it more representative in a multi-polar world that “is entering an age of chaos”.

Outlining the failures of the UN’s highest decision-making body, he said on Wednesday, “Indeed our world badly needs: Reform of the Security Council.”

In the New Agenda for Peace that he proposed for dealing with the challenges, “first and foremost, the United Nations Security Council must be able to take decisions and implement them, and it must become more representative,” he said in his address to the General Assembly on his priorities for the year.

In particular, he said that “it is totally unacceptable that the African continent is still waiting for a permanent seat” — a continent where most of the Council’s edicts on peace-keeping are focused.

Guterres introduced last year the New Agenda for Peace with five major points to deal with problems of peace and development.

In his critique of the Council, the UN Chief said, “The primary platform for questions of global peace is deadlocked by geopolitical fissures.”

This is the “worst” it has been and “today’s dysfunction is deeper and more dangerous,” he warned.

In overhauling the Council, its “working methods must also be updated so that it can make progress — even when members are sharply divided,” he said.

In one to the efforts in this direction, France, a permanent member of the Council, and Mexico have proposed that the permanent members voluntarily not use their vetoes in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes.

Mechanisms that were used to manage superpower relations during the Cold War are missing now, “and so our world is entering an age of chaos” creating “a dangerous and unpredictable ‘free-for-all’ with total impunity,” Guterres warned.

The polarised Council riven by rival vetoes of the permanent members from the East and the West, has been deadlocked on dealing with the many crises like the Ukraine War, the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Red Sea terrorism.

On a more positive note, he said that he sees “a truly dynamic effort to build a more effective, inclusive and renewed multilateralism tuned to the 21st century and our increasingly multipolar world”.

Guterres also called for reforming the international financial system.

In a tour of the troubled horizon, he pointed to the conflicts in the Red Sea, Gaza, Ukraine, and numerous spots in Africa, the dictatorship in Myanmar, the “lawlessness” in Haiti, the ethnic tensions in the Balkans, the climate crisis and the backsliding in moving towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

He suggested solutions to these multifarious problems and appealed for international cooperation.

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Opposition to two-state solution unacceptable, says Guterres

Amid the diplomatic tensions, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health reported a devastating toll in Gaza since October 7…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday said that the opposition to a two-state solution is “unacceptable.”

He asserted in a post on X, “The refusal to accept the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians and the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people are unacceptable.”

Guterres emphasised that the international community must recognise “the right of the Palestinian people to build their own state.”

In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement, expressed his desire for security control over all territory west of the Jordan River, directly conflicting with the existence of a Palestinian state.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reiterated this stance, declaring, “I do deny a Palestinian state. Always!”

Amid the diplomatic tensions, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health reported a devastating toll in Gaza since October 7.

More than 25,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with the latest figures including 178 people killed and 293 injured in the past 24 hours. The total stands at 25,105 killed and 62,681 injured across the strip during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. CNN, however, cannot independently verify these numbers due to reporting challenges in the war zone.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the continuation of military activities in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

The IDF reported the elimination of “dozens of terrorists” and the discovery of large quantities of weapons.

Operational updates highlighted IDF snipers’ collaboration with the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in eliminating terrorists in Khan Younis and Daraj Tuffah.

An update on Sunday morning revealed the loss of one additional soldier in combat, bringing Israel’s military death toll to 195 since the commencement of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, CNN reported (ANI)

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Guterres calls for urgent action on climate change and AI

The Secretary-General noted that in addition to climate change posing risks to humans and the environment, many countries battered by “climate chaos” are also experiencing financial hardship…reports Asian Lite News

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for urgent action on existential threats posed by climate change, the unchecked development of artificial intelligence (AI) and international governance reforms.

He appealed to world leaders to take urgent action on climate threats and to ensure a just and equitable transition to renewable energy.

He also called on governments to work with tech companies on risk management for AI development.

Guterres then announced that the UN will host a Summit of the Future in September 2024 to consider essential reforms to the global financial architecture ensuring it is responsive to today’s challenges.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024, Guterres said despite climate and AI garnering significant attention, “we have no effective global strategy to deal with either”.

“Geopolitical divides are preventing us from coming together around global solutions,” he said.

Guterres sounded the alarm that 2023 was the hottest year on record with droughts, storms, fires and floods wreaking havoc on countries and communities and that the planet is heading for a scorching 3 degree Celsius increase in global temperatures.

“Let me be very clear, the phase-out of fossil fuels is essential and inevitable. We must act now to ensure a just and equitable transition to renewable energy,” he said.

The Secretary-General noted that in addition to climate change posing risks to humans and the environment, many countries battered by “climate chaos” are also experiencing financial hardship.

Flagging the risks that AI poses to human rights, personal privacy and societies, Guterres called on the private sector to join a multi stakeholder effort to develop a “networked and adaptive” governance model for AI.

This should be in addition to a UN advisory body on AI governance offering recommendations on the benefits of the new technology while mitigating its risks, he said.

“We need governments urgently to work with tech companies on risk management frameworks for current AI development, and on monitoring and mitigating future harms,” he said.

In addition to addressing climate and technology, the Secretary-General called for the need to update institutions and frameworks of global governance from the UN Security Council to the Bretton Woods system which were created 80 years ago.

“Rebuilding trust will not happen overnight, but I am convinced that it is both essential and possible,” Guterres said.

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Guterres does not deserve to lead UN, says Cohen

Earlier this month, Guterres voiced his anguish over the suspected air strike on a convoy of ambulances outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Tuesday on his visit to the UN office in Geneva, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign in response to his criticism of Israel last month, The Times of Israel reported.

Cohen is on a visit to the UN office in Geneva and has been attending meetings with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.

“(UN Secretary-General Antonio) Guterres does not deserve to lead the United Nations. Guterres did not promote any peace process in the region…Guterres, like all the free nations, should say clearly and loudly: ‘Free Gaza from Hamas,” Cohen said at a press conference at the UN in Geneva.

His reaction came after Guterres strongly criticised Israel last month, stating while nothing justifies the crimes committed by Hamas, they did not occur in a vacuum, according to The Times of Israel.

Earlier this month, Guterres voiced his anguish over the suspected air strike on a convoy of ambulances outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Following the attack on the al-Ahli hospital, the UN chief posted on his social media handle, “I am horrified by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in a strike on a hospital in Gaza today, which I strongly condemn.”

Underlining the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with reports of food, water, medicine, and fuel for hospitals and water plants in short supply, Guterres added, “Not nearly enough food, water and medicine are coming in to meet people’s needs. Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out.”

Responding to Guterres’s statement, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, took a swipe at the UN Secretary-General for rushing to condemn Israel without seeking a full understanding of the situation.

Invoking the UN chief’s remarks in light of a previous suspected air strike at Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital, he accused Guterres of making false claims about aid not entering Gaza and ignoring the alleged misuse of ambulances by Hamas to further its nefarious actions.

Moreover, Foreign Minister Cohen today during a meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, also demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross “work through all channels” to secure visits to the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.

“We expect the Red Cross to put the issue at the top of the organization’s priority list, to use all levers of pressure, and not rest until it visits all the hostages, assesses their condition, and makes sure they are receiving the medical care they need,” Cohen said. (ANI)

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Test ban crucial for nuke-free world: UN chief

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a news conference on Thursday, July 12, 2018, at the UN headquarters in New York. (Photo: UN/IANS)

Since 1945, more than 2,000 nuclear tests have inflicted terrifying suffering on people, poisoned the air, and ravaged landscapes around the world….reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that a nuclear test ban is a fundamental step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.

“A legally binding prohibition on nuclear tests is a fundamental step in our quest for a world free of nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), though not yet in force, remains a powerful testament to humanity’s will to lift the shadow of nuclear annihilation from our world, once and for all,” he said in a message on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, which falls on August 29.

“In the name of all victims of nuclear testing, I call on all countries that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so immediately, without conditions. Let’s end nuclear testing forever,” he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Since 1945, more than 2,000 nuclear tests have inflicted terrifying suffering on people, poisoned the air, and ravaged landscapes around the world. On the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, the world speaks with one voice to end this destructive legacy, he said.

“This year, we face an alarming rise in global mistrust and division. At a time in which nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons are stockpiled around the world, and countries are working to improve their accuracy, reach and destructive power, this is a recipe for annihilation,” warned Guterres.

The CTBT was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 1996. But it has not entered into force.

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Guterres bats for continuation of Black Sea grain deal

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed separately by Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul with Turkey and the UN in July 2022…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the parties to do their utmost to ensure the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Tuesday, Guterres also called on the parties to accelerate operations, pointing to the reduction in the movement of vessels coming in and out of Ukrainian sea ports, and a drop in the supply of essential foodstuff to global markets.

Food exports via the Black Sea have fallen from a peak of 4.2 million metric tonne in October 2022 to 1.3 million metric tonne in May, the lowest volume since the grain deal came into operation, according to the statement.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed separately by Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul with Turkey and the UN in July 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.

The initiative, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days till March 18, 2023. At that point, Russia only agreed to extend the deal for 60 days, till May 18, 2023. On May 17, Russia agreed to extend the deal for another 60 days.

As a parallel agreement, Russia and the UN signed a memorandum of understanding on the facilitation of Russian food and fertiliser exports.

The UN chief’s statement said that the UN is fully committed to supporting the implementation of both the initiative and the memorandum of understanding, so that exports of food and fertilisers, including ammonia, from Russia and Ukraine reach markets around the world safely and predictably.

“This is especially critical now as the new grain harvest begins in both Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” said the statement.

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Guterres urges swift emission cuts to tackle climate crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying/IANS)

Guterres noted that healthy ecosystems, from oceans and rivers to forests and prairies are also critical in the fight against climate change….reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to accelerate climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts.

“We need accelerated climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” the top UN official said in his message for International Mother Earth Day, which is observed annually on April 22.

“We also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis,” he said.

Warning that “our actions are laying waste to forests, jungles, farmland, wetlands, oceans, coral reefs, rivers, seas, and lakes”, the UN chief urged countries to reflect on humanity’s most important relationship, which is “our relationship with the natural world”, reports Xinhua news agency.

“From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the soil that grows our food — humanity’s health depends on the health of Mother Earth. Yet we seem hellbent on destruction,” he said, adding: “Biodiversity is collapsing as one million species teeter on the brink of extinction. We must end these relentless and senseless wars on nature.”

The Secretary-General underscored that the international community has the tools, the knowledge, and the solutions, “but we must pick up the pace”.

Guterres noted that healthy ecosystems — from oceans and rivers to forests and prairies — are also critical in the fight against climate change.

“Let’s get to work to implement the historic UN biodiversity agreement to ensure that 30 percent of Earth’s land and water is protected by 2030,” he said.

He urged governments to lead the way “at every step”, adding that corporations, institutions and civil society also have a vital role.

Guterres also called for efforts to “learn from the time-won wisdom, knowledge and leadership of Indigenous peoples, whose environmental stewardship stretches back millennia, and who hold many of the solutions to the world’s climate and biodiversity crises.”

“This Earth Day, I urge people everywhere to raise your voices — in your schools, workplaces and faith communities, and on social media platforms — and demand leaders make peace with nature,” he said.

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Jaishankar meets Guterres, discuss Sudan situation

There are about 4,000 Indian citizens in Sudan, and according to the Indian embassy in Khartoum of them, about 1,500 are longtime residents…reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has plunged into a round of diplomacy to help resolve the Sudan crisis and protect Indians there, meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and consulting several foreign ministers as international efforts ramped up on the eve of Ramadan.

“We, of course, have obviously a very strong interest in the matter because there are so many Indians there,” he said on Thursday after his meeting with Guterres.

Jaishankar, who was on his way to a series of visits to Guyana, Panama, Columbia and the Dominican Republic, made an unscheduled stopover in New York to meet Guterres because “you could immediately see that this (Sudan situation) was very serious and a lot of (our) people were trapped by the situation”.

“The UN is at the heart of the efforts to establish a ceasefire. And that is really the key because at the moment, unless there is a ceasefire and unless there are corridors, it is not safe for people to come out,” he told reporters.

Before meeting Jaishankar, Guterres appealed to the religious sentiments of the warring sides for an Eid al-Fitr ceasefire for three days to pave the way for a permanent ceasefire.

Although two previous ceasefire efforts had failed, this time “there is a strong reason – all parties to the conflict are Muslim. We are living in a very important moment in the Muslim calendar. I think this is the right moment for a ceasefire to hold”, he told reporters.

Fighting broke out on April 14 between the military controlled by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, who is also the country’s head, and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

After a coup in 2021, they had been in a power-sharing arrangement that collapsed over differences on integrating the two forces.

There are about 4,000 Indian citizens in Sudan, and according to the Indian embassy in Khartoum of them, about 1,500 are longtime residents.

An Indian ex-serviceman. Albert Augustine, who was working in Sudan, was killed by a stray bullet.

Jaishankar assured Indians trapped in Sudan that the government was making all-out efforts to get them to safety.

“Our team in Delhi is in continuous touch with Indian citizens in Sudan, advising them saying, you know, ‘It’s very difficult for everybody, but keep calm, don’t take unnecessary risk’,” he said.

“I hope that the efforts, including that led by S-G (Guterres), will lead to something very soon, but we will have to wait and see”, he added.

Jaishankar said that he had spoken about the Sudan situation with foreign ministers Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and Sameh Shoukr of Egypt, and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, as well as US diplomats.

He said that the focus of the diplomatic efforts first is to get a “workable, on-the-ground observed ceasefire”.

The next step would be to create corridors for movement and assembly points for Indian citizens to be evacuated, he said.

Situation “completely outrageous”

Guterres called the situation “completely outrageous” and said that the “fighting in urban areas is particularly dangerous for civilians, including children, who have repeatedly been forced to shelter in schools and evacuate from hospitals under fire”.

He said that humanitarian operations have become impossible because of attacks on and looting of properties of relief organisations.

He warned, “Targeting humanitarian workers and assets must end. I remind all parties of their obligations under international law, including ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers”.

Guterres’s Deputy Spokesperson Farzan Haq said that more than 330 people have been killed in the fighting and 3,200 people have been injured according to World Health Organisation.

He added that according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least nine children have reportedly been killed and more than 50 children injured.

The RSF is a paramilitary organisation that is made up primarily of a militia known as Janjaweed that fought on behalf of the Sudan government against rebels in the Darfur region.

Burhan and Dagalo collaborated in ousting the reviled dictator Omar al-Bashir, who is now a fugitive from a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for atrocities in the Darfur region in 2019 and carried out a coup against Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in 2021.

The current civil war is a setback to moves to restore democracy that received a boost when the two signed a framework agreement in December with civil groups to transition to civilian rule.

Battered by decades of military coups and civil wars, Sudan’s economy and society have been extremely fragile requiring international assistance to stave off starvation and the latest conflict has made the situation worse.

Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths said that 15.8 million people were in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

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