The escalation of attacks between military and paramilitary forces in Sudan, fueled by external powers, has plunged millions of people into a nightmare of hunger and disease. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the UN Security Council of the devastating consequences of this war that threatens to destabilize the entire region, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.
The Sudanese are currently living through nightmares, ranging from unimaginable killings and atrocities, including widespread rape, to the rapid spread of disease, to mass ethnic violence. 750,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity and famine conditions in displacement sites in North Darfur. Shocking reports of massacres and sexual violence have emerged in villages in Gezira province, where paramilitary fighters have spread terror, killing more than 120 people in a matter of days.
This humanitarian crisis began in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between military and paramilitary leaders erupted in Khartoum and spread to other regions, including West Darfur. More than 24,000 people have lost their lives so far, and over 11 million people have fled their homes, including 3 million to neighbouring countries.
Antonio Guterres called on both sides to immediately agree to a cessation of hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians, for which they bear the primary responsibility, and allow humanitarian assistance to reach millions of people in need. He stressed his dismay at the attacks on civilians by RSF paramilitary forces in El Fasher, North Darfur, and other areas, as well as the massive civilian casualties caused by apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas.
The war broke out four years after the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir following a pro-democracy uprising and a short-lived transition to democracy. It has been marked by atrocities such as mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, which have been characterized as war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur. The region, already emblematic of genocide and war crimes two decades ago, appears to be reliving similar horrors, with allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and even genocide being leveled against both sides.
We are facing a major humanitarian crisis, with violence, famine and disease tearing apart an already battered country.. The urgency is absolute: it is up to the international community to exert pressure to end these atrocities, to ensure the protection of civilians and to guarantee access to humanitarian aid for the millions of people in distress. Sudan must not remain abandoned to its fate, its people deserve peace, security and dignity.