Sudanese expert: Another lifeline to take place in Sudan
Moatinoon
A Sudanese expert in humanitarian and voluntary work has predicted that a second Lifeline Operation will take place in Sudan, which may involve airports and other crossings outside of Sudan. He mentioned that the recent Swiss talks resemble the Lifeline Operation managed by UN organizations and their partners over 35 years ago, which lasted for 15 years with coordination between the central government in Khartoum and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement.
The first Lifeline Operation is considered the largest humanitarian coordination effort in the history of global humanitarian responses. It successfully delivered food, water, healthcare, education, and protection to millions of Sudanese, reaching remote areas through dirt airstrips constructed specifically for the operation in those regions.
The expert in humanitarian work, Dr. Salah Al-Amin, stated in a lengthy post on his Facebook page that the successful passage of humanitarian aid convoys through the Adre border crossing could entice the international community to plan another Lifeline Operation. He noted the leakage of proposals to the Port Sudan government and the United Nations regarding other border crossings, as well as internal crossings located in areas controlled by the Sudanese army and others in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
He added that the government will insist on its constitutional right to issue non-objection certificates and movement permits for aid workers to enter and move within Sudan. He referred to the Sovereign Councils decision to monopolize the authority to issue permits instead of the Humanitarian Aid Commission, in addition to the Rapid Support Forces commitment to protecting the movement of aid convoys and their personnel in its controlled areas.
Al-Amin revealed that the International Red Cross has requested the Rapid Support Forces to implement and train its fighters on international humanitarian law, adhere to it, and protect aid convoys.
It is worth mentioning that the idea of the first Lifeline Operation began with a simple service provided by the Economic Aid Team of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was operating in a border area between Sudan and Kenya. The team was led by a Swiss veterinarian who offered vaccination services to the livestock of the locals in the area, which was well received by them, eventually developing into the largest humanitarian coordination operation in history.
