WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on Friday that Washington is exerting strenuous efforts to reach a humanitarian truce in Sudan, early January, that allows humanitarian organizations to urgently offer aid to civilians.
Speaking to reporters in a news conference, Rubio said "the immediate goal we have is a cessation of hostilities, a humanitarian truce going into the New Year that allows humanitarian organizations to be able to deliver aid to the people in great distress." "I mean, there are clearly both sides, you know, the South and the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, are have supporters from outside of Sudan's borders that are involved, and we've been engaging with those countries there." "It's not just countries that are providing them weaponry and equipment. It's also countries that are providing transshipment, particularly to the RSF, to receive weapons, in some cases advanced weaponry.
"Our goal, the immediate goal we have is a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian truce going into the New Year that allows humanitarian organizations to be able to deliver aid to the people in great distress. "Right now, that's not possible. We are hearing, continue to see, reports of humanitarian convoys actually being struck on their way in, and so you can just imagine, what's amazing to us is these convoys are struck and the rest of the convoy continues," he noted. "But what we said to everybody on it is that what's happening there is horrifying. It's atrocious that one day the story of what's actually happened there is going to be known, and everyone involved is going to look bad. "And we have played the role we have played as a convening role in bringing the parties to the table.
"One of the challenges and frustrations in Sudan has been that one side or the other will commit to certain things, and then they won't live up to those commitments, that they'll agree to anything and implement nothing.
"And obviously we hope that while that truce is ongoing, we can focus on the other elements that led to this conflict and help to resolve some of those," he concluded. (end) amm.hm