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Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called upon the Muslim world on Monday to fulfil its duty in putting an end to the violence in Sudan, following the takeover of the vital city of El-Fasher by paramilitaries.
“The greatest responsibility for swiftly ending the bloodshed in Sudan undoubtedly falls on the Islamic world. As Muslims, we must resolve our own problems rather than seek help from others,” he told delegates at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) economic gathering in Istanbul.
“It is crucial we stand with the Sudanese people during these difficult times and continue our humanitarian aid and development support,” he said.
Turkey currently occupies the rotating leadership role of the 57-member OIC foreign ministers’ council. Established in 1969, this organisation aims to safeguard the interests of the Muslim community and foster solidarity among Muslims.
Since the onset of Sudan’s ongoing conflict in April 2023, Turkey has supported the Sudanese army in its battle against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The UN’s refugee agency reports that nearly 37,000 individuals have fled El-Fasher in just over a week, after RSF paramilitaries ousted the army from the city, its final stronghold in Darfur, following a prolonged 18-month siege characterised by starvation and bombardment.
Tens of thousands are still trapped within the city, with emerging reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, assaults on aid workers, looting, and abductions, while communication lines remain mostly severed.
The conflict in Sudan has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people, resulting in the world’s most extensive displacement and hunger crises, according to the United Nations.
