The Working Group for Life-Saving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) continued its weekly virtual sessions on 5 September, focusing on expanding humanitarian access in emergencies and respecting international humanitarian law. Last week, an estimated 3,114 metric tons of supplies reached nearly 300,000 people in Darfur with support from the ALPS group, and through the courageous and tireless work of humanitarian actors on the ground.
ALPS delegation members continue to engage the SAF and the RSF to address the urgent need to expand land access from Port Sudan via Shendi to Khartoum, as well as roads from Khartoum to El Obeid and Kosti, including via Sennar. ALPS delegations call for the opening of additional border crossings, including the Aweil crossing with South Sudan. ALPS members also continue to press the SAF to announce and meaningfully implement a simplified notification system, and urge the RSF to fully implement it, in order to simplify the cumbersome bureaucratic barriers that cost Sudanese lives every day. With over 25 million people facing famine and acute hunger, sufficient notification is essential to allow the movement of humanitarian cargo in Sudan. Every delay costs lives.
The ALPS Group acknowledged the RSF’s issuance of a new directive to all forces on the protection of civilians, supports its commitment to accountability, and will closely monitor implementation. The ALPS Group identified several critical areas where the RSF and SAF must immediately de-escalate hostilities, including El Fasher. This will ensure the protection of civilians and access to urgent relief in line with the commitments made by both parties in the Jeddah Declaration.
The delegation members call on members of the international community to pressure both sides to achieve this goal. The ALPS members affirm their joint commitment to work with other international partners to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and ultimately achieve a cessation of hostilities agreement. They also affirm their commitment to continue consultations with Sudanese women as part of the ALPS platform.
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