Cairo, (SUNA) — Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said in press statements on the outcome of his participation in the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York that the Sudanese crisis featured prominently in the meetings and consultations he held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, including discussions with heads of state, senior officials and foreign ministers of a number of international and regional powers. He noted that the Sudanese state, with its longstanding national institutions, had, despite the severity of the crisis, demonstrated a high degree of resilience and continuity. Fahmy added that the return of around five million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees since last year to their areas and homes in Khartoum and its surrounding areas has placed growing responsibilities on the state to provide basic services, rehabilitate facilities and create the conditions necessary for a safe and sustainable return and the restoration of normal life. In this regard, he stressed the need to strengthen the capacity of Sudanese state institutions to address the serious challenges resulting from the war. The Secretary-General stressed that any sustainable settlement to the crisis must be based on respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, while upholding the overarching national identity and the foundations of the Sudanese state and its institutions as the framework encompassing all components, and rejecting any attempts to undermine them or establish parallel entities. He explained that the current phase requires parallel efforts to halt the fighting, address the humanitarian situation, launch the political process and tackle the polarization created by the war. The Secretary-General renewed the Arab League’s commitment to continuing its efforts and coordination with the Sudanese state and regional and international partners to end the war and create conditions for the launch of an inclusive Sudanese political process that fulfills the aspirations of the Sudanese people for security, peace and stability.BH/BH