By Michael Paul
The African Regional office of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa ) has joined calls for an immediate end to hostilities in Sudan, which has left over 400 persons dead.
In a statement on Monday signed by the General Secretary, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, ITUC-Africa expressed concerns over the impact of the ongoing crisis on civilians, including workers, women, youth, and children who have lost their livelihoods.
The outbreak of violence between the nation’s two top generals, each backed by tens of thousands of heavily armed fighters, trapped millions of people in their homes or wherever they could find shelter, with supplies running low in many areas.
The power struggle pits General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the armed forces, against General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. The former allies jointly orchestrated an October 2021 military coup.
“As an organization committed to peace and stability, the ITUC-Africa urges all parties involved in the conflict to immediately halt the hostilities and work towards peacefully resolving the impasse through dialogue and negotiations,” Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, ITUC-Africa General Secretary said in his statement issued in Lome, Togo.
He noted that the devastating impact of violent conflict on workers, women, youth, and children cannot be overstated, adding that the consequences of armed conflicts further worsen socio-economic fault lines, fracture hope and compromise the trust and stability necessary for nation-building.
The regional workers’ organisation further called on the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) to play a central role in facilitating a peaceful resolution and overseeing the power transition process to civilian rule.
“Furthermore, we call for the establishment of a mechanism for power transition to civilian rule, with supervision from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN). It is crucial that the rights and welfare of the people of Sudan are safeguarded, and that a transparent and inclusive process is put in place to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power.
“As a global community, we must unite to support the people of Sudan and work towards a future of peace, stability, and prosperity for all. We stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and express our strong condemnation of the ongoing violence. The time for peace is now, and we urge all parties to take genuine and meaningful steps towards a ceasefire, resolution of the crisis and transition of power to civilian rule.”