New Zealand has an indirect but potentially significant strategic and political interest in Sudan’s unfolding conflict, as its oil tankers pass through the Red Sea.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly flew into NZ ahead of schedule late last night to set up an ad hoc situation room in Wellington.
He arrived from Honiara in the Solomon Islands, taking advantage of more stable and secure communications at the British High Commission across the road from Parliament, to coordinate's the UK’s response to violence in riven Sudan.
The death toll there has quickly risen above 300, as rival military groups struggle for control of diminishing economic resources, like gold and agriculture. Air strikes and explosions hammered the capital Khartoum after the failure of a US-brokered ceasefire between the army and paramilitary forces this week. Japan is preparing to evacuate its citizens.
New Zealand had already warned its citizens not to travel to Sudan. For those in the country – seven are known to be there – it warns to take precautions against terrorism, kidnapping, and political violence directed at foreigners.
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New Zealand does not have an embassy in Sudan but staff from the embassy in Ethiopia are in contact with the registered New Zealanders.
Cleverly had intended to hold trilateral meetings in Samoa with Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and NZ Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta; instead he's come straight to Wellington.
En route to New Zealand, he's met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and held video calls with Egyptian, Saudi, Kenyan and United Arab Emirates leaders. Then from Wellington this morning, he had a "productive call" with France's Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, to discuss the safety of French and British citizens in Sudan.
"The UK and France are united in condemnation of the violence in Sudan," he says today. "Alongside our international partners, we call for a lasting ceasefire."
Soon after, the Visits and Ceremonial Office announced Cleverley would return home to Britain early, cancelling tomorrow's scheduled meetings and press conferences. "It’s with real regret that due to the ongoing situation in Sudan I’ve had to cut the visit short," Cleverly said."I’ve spoken to Foreign Minister Mahuta and told her how disappointed I am to have had to leave early and we’ve agreed we’ll reschedule as soon as we can."
Earlier this morning he had tweeted: "The UK is working tirelessly for peace in Sudan. This violence must end. I've held discussions with international partners on working collectively to resolve this conflict."
Britain is calling for an immediate end to the fighting. "The bloodshed in Sudan cannot continue."
Sudan is the third largest country in Africa, and it stretches across an unstable and geopolitically vital region. The country straddles the Nile River; Sudan's fate impacts land-locked Ethiopia with its ambitious hydro-electric plans upstream, and water-hungry Egypt downstream.
The war is sponsored by bigger players. The notorious Russian-linked mercenary group Wagner first deployed to Sudan in 2017 to support former president Omar al-Bashir. But since he was deposed, it's smuggled gold out to Moscow to help bankroll Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, and it's sold its services to advance Russia's aspirations to establish a port on the Red Sea.
The international community more broadly has taken a close interest in Sudan and South Sudan, which became the world's newest independent nation in 2011. The NZ Defence Force has peacekeepers on the ground in South Sudan, working with the United Nations Mission there.
Professor Robert Patman, from Otago University, tells Newsroom that in an increasingly interconnected world, New Zealand has an indirect but potentially significant strategic and political interest in Sudan’s unfolding conflict. "Sudan is located in north-eastern Africa, south of Egypt, and overlooks the Red Sea lanes through which oil tankers pass, including those that carry oil that is destined for New Zealand.
"At the same time, New Zealand cannot be indifferent to the fact that a democratic transition in Sudan has been derailed by military infighting that involves groups such as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has reported links to Russia’s Wagner Group involved in gold mining operations in Darfur and Kordofan regions of the country."
This afternoon, Nanaia Mahuta expressed New Zealand's "deep concern" about the Sudan conflict. She called for a resumption of dialogue in advance of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
"New Zealand is engaging with our partners on the deteriorating security situation in Sudan, its impact on neighbouring states, and the welfare of foreign nationals, including New Zealanders," she says. "It’s important that all New Zealanders in Sudan register on Safe Travel to receive the latest advice and support."
Samoa trip aborted
Cleverly's visit to Samoa was intended to demonstrate support for the island nation's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next year, the first to be held in the Pacific. It's not immediately clear when this week's aborted visit will be rescheduled.
Mahuta says: "Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom are close partners with a shared commitment to supporting regional outcomes.
"We look forward to celebrating recent achievements in the bilateral relationship, discussing our cooperation together in the Pacific, and how each of our countries will work together on global issues, including climate change and support to Ukraine."
