“If there is a way Israel could assist in ending the fighting, we would be very happy to do so.”
By World Israel News Staff
Israel has offered to host ceasefire talks between warring factions in Sudan as the death toll reached several hundreds on Monday.
“Since the start of hostilities in the country, Israel has been working different channels to bring about a cease-fire and the advancement in recent days is very encouraging,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday.
“If there is a way Israel could assist in ending the fighting, we would be very happy to do so,” he added.
Cohen shares close ties with the embattled country, as does his ministry’s director-general, Ronen Levy.
Cohen was in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum in February with the aim of inking Israel’s normalization deal with Sudan.
“Since my visit to Khartoum three months ago, a visit whose purpose was to bring about the signing of a historic peace agreement between Israel and Sudan, we have been in contact with various parties in Sudan in order to promote relations between the countries,” Cohen said on Monday.
According to a statement from Cohen’s office, the foreign ministry was “encouraged” by the “progress made in recent days during talks” with the rival Sudanese factions.
A power struggle between Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto military leader, and his deputy, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has spiraled into open violence between loyalist forces on both sides.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that Washington was also trying to reach a ceasefire.
“We have not given up on the notion that there could be a ceasefire that would come into effect,” Kirby said.
“We will keep working with close partners in pushing the two sides to try to…get a permanent cease-fire in place,” Kirby added. “We see the risk of protracted conflict but we see a possibility…that we could get to a cease-fire.”