<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Sumar, the minority party in Pedro Sánchez's coalition government, has called for “Spain's leadership” in favor of a ceasefire in Sudan and has advocated sending “European peacekeepers for the protection of civilians” as soon as “the right conditions” exist.</strong></h4> In a non-legislative motion presented on March 21 for debate in the Committee on International Development Cooperation, the Sumar Plurinational Parliamentary Group warns that “Sudan is a strategic African country that connects the Sahel, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea, strategic regions for Africa and Europe.” It also recalls that, in April 2023, a conflict broke out in the capital, Khartoum, between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. The conflict “spread rapidly, and there are risks of its spread to other countries and regions, particularly in the Sahel, where armed violence has persisted since 2011.” “This is a highly volatile region that requires all international efforts to prevent further escalations and refugee crises, and it has a direct impact on the Mediterranean basin,” warns the group led by the Second Vice President of the Government, Yolanda Díaz. Under these circumstances, Sumar continues, “the humanitarian situation is critical: tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions have lost their homes, and there is a declared famine in northern Darfur that the United Nations has described as the worst in modern history.” Furthermore, it continues, Sudan is the country hosting the largest number of internally displaced persons in the world: nine million, 6.8 million of whom are displaced by the current conflict. Neighboring countries have hosted up to two million displaced persons, 900,000 of whom have arrived in Chad. "Diplomatic efforts have been ineffective," and despite "attempts to promote spaces for dialogue between both parties, experts identify a lack of pressure from the powers to facilitate serious negotiations and compliance with the agreements," Sumar laments. Therefore, and in order to "facilitate negotiations and help stem and alleviate humanitarian catastrophes," Sumar urges the government to support mediation initiatives to foster "inter-community dialogue," to "make use of relations with the Gulf States" so that "the warring parties can sit at the table and negotiate a ceasefire," and to "prohibit the import of products or raw materials that could fuel the conflict." It also urges the government to support the African Union's (AU) efforts to "promote dialogue among civil society groups on a stable post-war future, ensuring a substantial role for civilians, particularly women and young people," and to "convey to the European Council, as soon as the right conditions exist, starting with a ceasefire, the need to deploy European peacekeepers to protect civilians."
