OIC appeals for truce in Sudan ahead of Eid Al-Adha holiday

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged the warring parties in Sudan on Thursday to lay down their arms in a cease-fire ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.

In a statement, Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the Muslim bloc, "appealed to all warring parties in Sudan to work towards a comprehensive cease-fire and end all forms of violence and fighting."

Taha also urged the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting for over two months, to "allow relief organizations to carry out their duties and provide urgent humanitarian assistance to all affected areas in the length and breadth of Sudan."

He called on regional and international actors to "support the endeavors towards an immediate cease-fire in Sudan and to make concerted efforts to urge all parties to be committed."

Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is the most important Muslim holiday, marking the culmination of the annual hajj (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and RSF since mid-April, in a conflict that killed nearly 1,000 civilians and injured 5,000 others, according to local medics.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that the conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 2.2 million people.

Several cease-fire initiatives were announced over the past period. However, the warring parties accused each other of violating the cease-fire agreements.