China calls for promotion of political solution to Sudan conflict

UNITED NATIONS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the international community to promote a political solution to the conflict in Sudan.

Continued conflict has caused massive civilian casualties and a grave humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The international community should work together to seek a political settlement and bring about peace at an early date, said Dai Bing, the charge d'affaires of the Chinese mission to the United Nations.

Fighting has erupted in many parts of Sudan recently, leading to inestimable losses and growing spill-over effects. The most urgent task now is to end fighting as soon as possible, he told the Security Council.

"We call on the relevant parties to work with each other to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible and to create conditions for peace talks," he said. "We call on the international community, especially traditional donors, to continue to increase their assistance to the country and help Sudan and regional countries in humanitarian relief."

In the meantime, as Sudan's conflict has triggered a grievous humanitarian crisis, it is critical to ensure humanitarian access, he said.

Regional mediation efforts must be supported, said Dai.

China welcomes the mediation efforts of the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and Sudan's neighboring countries. The international community should continue to support those regional efforts, respect Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and avoid the imposition of solutions from outside, he said.

The UN Security Council should strengthen coordination with the AU and other regional organizations and work in synergy with regional mediation efforts. The council's actions should be conducive to diplomacy and avoid exacerbating tensions, he said.

The United Nations should continue to play a constructive role in Sudan. The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) has just completed its withdrawal from Sudan. However, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, the withdrawal does not mean the end of cooperation between the world body and Sudan. China hopes that the United Nations and Sudan will have candid communication to explore cooperation that can meet the country's actual needs. It is also important to draw lessons from UNITAMS' experiences so as to further mutual trust in future cooperation with Sudan and provide tangible support for its peace and development, said Dai.