03:06US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the emerging armed conflict in Sudan and called for both sides to negotiate a ceasefire, during a press conference in Karuizawa on Tuesday.
"I made calls to Generals Burhan and Hemedti, urging them to agree to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow Sudanese to safely reunite with their families and to obtain desperately needed relief supplies. I also underscored in both calls the responsibilities that Sudanese fighting forces bear for ensuring the safety and security of U.S. and other diplomats who are resident in Sudan, as well as for UN staff and other humanitarian partners," he said.
The clashes which flared up on Saturday are the latest in the ongoing power struggle between the army’s leader and Sudan’s de facto ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and deputy leader General 'Hemedti’ Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Blinken also reaffirmed Western support for Ukraine and called for further sanctions on Russia.
”We recommitted to Ukraine: with the security and economic support that it needs today to defend its sovereignty and people, and for the long term to ensure that Ukraine doesn’t just survive, that it thrives – and that Russia is deterred from further aggression. This includes continuing to tighten sanctions and export controls, putting that pressure on Russia to limit its ability to wage its war, cracking down on sanctions evaders wherever they hide, rejecting Moscow’s nuclear blackmail, and ensuring accountability for war crime," he stressed.
Moscow has rejected Washington's characterisation of what it calls the 'special military operation' and accuses Western countries of inflaming tensions with weapons deliveries, which it says will only prolong the fighting and won't change the outcome.
The US secretary also commented on the G7's commitment to global nuclear disarmament.
"We have to continue to work collectively to counter these challenges: Russia’s suspension of the New START agreement, irresponsible nuclear rhetoric; the DPRK’s dangerous ballistic missile launches and further development of its own nuclear programme; Iran’s expansion of its nuclear activities; and China’s pursuit in a very opaque way of a rapid nuclear arsenal buildup. So based on our conversations today, I can tell you that these actions only strengthen our determination to address nuclear dangers, and it’s particularly why I’m grateful to Japan for the high priority it’s placed on this topic under its G7 presidency", he added.
Blinken is currently in Japan attending the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Various pressing global issues, including the emerging conflict in Sudan, the current situation in Ukraine, concerns over the Russian deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, tensions with China over Taiwan’s autonomy, and the recent series of arms tests in North Korea were discussed during the summit, according to local reports.
Japan: Blinken urges Burhan and Hemedti 'to agree to 24-hour ceasefire’ in Sudan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the emerging armed conflict in Sudan and called for both sides to negotiate a ceasefire, during a press conference in Karuizawa on Tuesday.
"I made calls to Generals Burhan and Hemedti, urging them to agree to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow Sudanese to safely reunite with their families and to obtain desperately needed relief supplies. I also underscored in both calls the responsibilities that Sudanese fighting forces bear for ensuring the safety and security of U.S. and other diplomats who are resident in Sudan, as well as for UN staff and other humanitarian partners," he said.
The clashes which flared up on Saturday are the latest in the ongoing power struggle between the army’s leader and Sudan’s de facto ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and deputy leader General 'Hemedti’ Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Blinken also reaffirmed Western support for Ukraine and called for further sanctions on Russia.
”We recommitted to Ukraine: with the security and economic support that it needs today to defend its sovereignty and people, and for the long term to ensure that Ukraine doesn’t just survive, that it thrives – and that Russia is deterred from further aggression. This includes continuing to tighten sanctions and export controls, putting that pressure on Russia to limit its ability to wage its war, cracking down on sanctions evaders wherever they hide, rejecting Moscow’s nuclear blackmail, and ensuring accountability for war crime," he stressed.
Moscow has rejected Washington's characterisation of what it calls the 'special military operation' and accuses Western countries of inflaming tensions with weapons deliveries, which it says will only prolong the fighting and won't change the outcome.
The US secretary also commented on the G7's commitment to global nuclear disarmament.
"We have to continue to work collectively to counter these challenges: Russia’s suspension of the New START agreement, irresponsible nuclear rhetoric; the DPRK’s dangerous ballistic missile launches and further development of its own nuclear programme; Iran’s expansion of its nuclear activities; and China’s pursuit in a very opaque way of a rapid nuclear arsenal buildup. So based on our conversations today, I can tell you that these actions only strengthen our determination to address nuclear dangers, and it’s particularly why I’m grateful to Japan for the high priority it’s placed on this topic under its G7 presidency", he added.
Blinken is currently in Japan attending the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Various pressing global issues, including the emerging conflict in Sudan, the current situation in Ukraine, concerns over the Russian deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, tensions with China over Taiwan’s autonomy, and the recent series of arms tests in North Korea were discussed during the summit, according to local reports.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the emerging armed conflict in Sudan and called for both sides to negotiate a ceasefire, during a press conference in Karuizawa on Tuesday.
"I made calls to Generals Burhan and Hemedti, urging them to agree to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow Sudanese to safely reunite with their families and to obtain desperately needed relief supplies. I also underscored in both calls the responsibilities that Sudanese fighting forces bear for ensuring the safety and security of U.S. and other diplomats who are resident in Sudan, as well as for UN staff and other humanitarian partners," he said.
The clashes which flared up on Saturday are the latest in the ongoing power struggle between the army’s leader and Sudan’s de facto ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and deputy leader General 'Hemedti’ Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Blinken also reaffirmed Western support for Ukraine and called for further sanctions on Russia.
”We recommitted to Ukraine: with the security and economic support that it needs today to defend its sovereignty and people, and for the long term to ensure that Ukraine doesn’t just survive, that it thrives – and that Russia is deterred from further aggression. This includes continuing to tighten sanctions and export controls, putting that pressure on Russia to limit its ability to wage its war, cracking down on sanctions evaders wherever they hide, rejecting Moscow’s nuclear blackmail, and ensuring accountability for war crime," he stressed.
Moscow has rejected Washington's characterisation of what it calls the 'special military operation' and accuses Western countries of inflaming tensions with weapons deliveries, which it says will only prolong the fighting and won't change the outcome.
The US secretary also commented on the G7's commitment to global nuclear disarmament.
"We have to continue to work collectively to counter these challenges: Russia’s suspension of the New START agreement, irresponsible nuclear rhetoric; the DPRK’s dangerous ballistic missile launches and further development of its own nuclear programme; Iran’s expansion of its nuclear activities; and China’s pursuit in a very opaque way of a rapid nuclear arsenal buildup. So based on our conversations today, I can tell you that these actions only strengthen our determination to address nuclear dangers, and it’s particularly why I’m grateful to Japan for the high priority it’s placed on this topic under its G7 presidency", he added.
Blinken is currently in Japan attending the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Various pressing global issues, including the emerging conflict in Sudan, the current situation in Ukraine, concerns over the Russian deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, tensions with China over Taiwan’s autonomy, and the recent series of arms tests in North Korea were discussed during the summit, according to local reports.