Addis Ababa — About 350 African NGOs appealed to the African Union (AU), during its summit held last Friday in Ethiopia, to take action concerning the "war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile".

The civil society organizations asked AU leaders to exert "unified political pressures on a high level" to halt hostilities in both regions. They also asked that humanitarian relief agencies are allowed to provide aid to those in need.

Additionally, the NGOs requested that the government of Sudan and the SPLM-N hold direct negotiations. Their "obligations must be determined within a timeline framework" and all parties must follow the commitments they made.

As stated in a document submitted by the African agencies, about 700.000 citizens do not have access to food, water or health care because of the continued aerial bombings for more than 18 months in Blue Nile and in South Kordofan.

The organizations asserted that few people have managed to farm their lands during this period, adding that several others are forced to eat tree leaves and have one meal every five days to survive.

Especially women, children and the elderly are affected by the war, according to the NGOs.