The UN Security Council will vote on Friday whether to call for a ceasefire in Sudan to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan next week as conditions in the country continue to deteriorate.
The draft text prepared would call on all sides to adopt an immediate "cessation of hostilities" ahead of Ramadan, a time for fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims worldwide, the AFP news agency reports.
It also calls on the warring parties to allow "unhindered" humanitarian access across borders and battle lines.
At a Security Council meeting on Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "all parties in Sudan to honour the values of Ramadan by honouring a Ramadan cessation of hostilities."
"This cessation of hostilities must lead to a definitive silencing of the guns across the country, and set out a firm path towards lasting peace for the Sudanese people," he added.
Humanitarian crisis
Guterres warned of a humanitarian crisis of "colossal proportions" with a growing threat of famine.
Britain subsequently announced it would seek a resolution echoing his appeal.
The fighting has been raging since April 15, 2023.
It has pitted the army of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the former number two in the military establishment.
Mass casualties
It has left thousands dead and some eight million displaced, more than in any other world crisis.
While most Security Council members on Thursday supported the call for a Ramadan ceasefire, some delegations were more reserved, notably those of China and Russia.
The African Union (AU), in a statement on Friday, also called on warring Sudanese parties to observe a total ceasefire across the country throughout the month of Ramadan.
AU's chairperson, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, said a ceasefire could help facilitate the dispatch of humanitarian aid to civilian populations in dire need.
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