In Sudan, the war which has raged for six months now shows no sign of calming down. While clashes persist between General Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, head of the army, and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, head of the paramilitaries, the humanitarian situation is reaching catastrophic proportions. Humanitarian organizations are sounding the alarm in the face of a crisis which has already led to the displacement of more than five million people and which endangers half of the population, or 25 million people, who require emergency food aid. ’emergency.
Despite this alarming situation, the international community seems to remain surprisingly silent. Attempts at mediation to obtain a ceasefire between the two warring parties have all failed so far. The reasons for this failure are multiple: a multiplicity of mediations which harm the clarity and coherence of the strategies put in place, a lack of political will and regional actors who use the conflict to serve their own interests.
It is particularly worrying that some countries, which were previously hostile to civilians, are now supporting General al-Burhan. Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which had previously torpedoed discussions with civil society, are now supporting the army chief. According to press reports, Egypt even provided drones to al-Burhan last month. At the same time, Qatar and Turkey continue to support the general. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates supports General Hemedti, in order to preserve their interests in the country, notably the export of gold.
The situation is made even more complex by the inaction of the UN, paralyzed by Russian and Chinese vetoes against any resolution favorable to Sudan. The European Union, for its part, is struggling to make itself heard due to its past association with the former Sudanese regime in the context of its migration policy. The African Union, for its part, limited itself to suspending Sudan, without taking concrete measures to resolve the conflict. The issue of human rights violations has also not been investigated by the UN due to lack of support from African countries.
Faced with this alarming situation, it is essential that the international community finally takes its responsibilities and acts concretely to put an end to this deadly conflict. There is an urgent need to respond to the humanitarian needs of the millions of people affected by the war and to actively work towards a lasting political solution. It is high time that silence gives way to action.