Baghdad: The Arab League, the African Union Commission, and the United Nations (UN) have affirmed their strong commitment to Sudan's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, and to avoiding the collapse of Sudan's national institutions.
According to Qatar News Agency, in a joint statement following a high-level consultative meeting held Saturday on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Baghdad, the three organizations stated that the purpose of this high-level consultative meeting, attended by Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, was to unify the three organizations' efforts for peace and to achieve a stronger, more coordinated international response to end the fighting and violence in Sudan, alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, ensure unhindered access to humanitarian aid, and reach a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.
The joint statement said that all three organizations' efforts are based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the Jeddah Declaration, as well as the relevant decisions by the African Union and the Arab League.
The statement also stressed the need to develop a consistent vision and approach that addresses the crisis in Sudan in a way that relies on complementarity and relative advantages, focusing on strategic action supported by active cooperation. It pointed out the need to strengthen multilateral connections through a high-level agreement on forming a broader gathering, to be developed and agreed upon, involving multilateral institutions that can provide political support and enhance efforts. At the same time, it called for ensuring coordination and integration with member states' mechanisms.
The joint statement highlighted the importance of utilizing the opportunities presented by upcoming summits of UN General Assembly, the African Union, and the Arab League, to meet again at the level of heads of relevant multilateral organizations, to maintain high-level participation, work on evaluating the developments in Sudan, and agree on necessary steps to enhance the efficiency and coherence of their actions.