Abdallah Hamdok, the leader of the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces, a Sudanese umbrella group also known as Taqaddum, has urged governments hosting Sudanese refugees to step up their efforts in assisting these displaced individuals.
The Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces is a coalition of civil society, youth, vocational and feminist groups working towards bolstering democracy and human rights in Sudan. The body is led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
During his address at the inaugural session of the Coordination’s founding conference, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, former Prime Minister Hamdok expressed gratitude to African and Arab countries, particularly neighboring states, for their support.
“We call on the governments of these countries to increase their efforts to alleviate the suffering of Sudanese refugees,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of streamlining procedures and offering all available assistance to them. “Our people will always remember the honourable gestures of our brothers,” he added.
Hamdok underscored the devastating impact of the war in Sudan, which has severely depleted the resources of the Sudanese people and led to a surge in violations against them. He also warned of an imminent famine threatening the Sudanese population. “This famine, if left unaddressed, will claim far more lives than those lost to gunfire,” he warned.
The former Prime Minister urged the regional and international community to fulfill their responsibilities by exerting pressure on the warring factions. He emphasized the need for unconditional delivery of humanitarian aid and stressed that food and medicine should not be weaponized to harm innocent civilians.
He also emphasized the pressing need for the international community to take immediate action to end the conflict by facilitating negotiations between the opposing parties.
Since 15 April 2023, Sudan has been riven by war between the army, led by Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The overall conflict has killed tens of thousands, including up to 15,000 in a single West Darfur town, according to United Nations experts.
More than 8.8 million people fled their homes since fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF.