UN calls for truce in Sudan as Ramadan approaches: summary
What we know
- The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the conflicting parties in Sudan to agree to a ceasefire during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
- The Security Council is currently discussing a British-drafted resolution that also advocates for a truce during Ramadan, set to commence early next week, in the year-long conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Reuters reports. The resolution, scheduled for a vote on Friday, requires at least nine favourable votes and no vetoes from the United States, Russia, Britain, China, or France to be adopted.
- The United States accuses the warring factions of committing war crimes, with the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias allegedly engaging in crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. The U.N. reports that nearly half of Sudan's population, approximately 25 million people, requires aid, 8 million have been displaced, and hunger is on the rise.
- A U.N. sanctions monitoring report from January revealed that between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in West Darfur last year due to ethnic violence by the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated Arab militias.
- Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, the Security Council has issued three press statements condemning the violence and expressing concern. In December, the council reiterated this language in a resolution that closed down a U.N. political mission, following a request from Sudan's acting foreign minister.
What they said
While speaking to the Security Council, Guterres said, "This cessation of hostilities must lead to a definitive silencing of the guns across the country, and set out a firm path towards lasting peace for the Sudanese people. There is now a serious risk that the conflict could ignite regional instability of dramatic proportions, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea." Adding that "Hunger is stalking Sudan. Some 18 million people are acutely food insecure. This is the highest number ever recorded during a harvest season, yet numbers are expected to surge even higher in the coming months. We are already receiving reports of children dying from malnutrition. The human rights situation continues to spiral out of control throughout Sudan."
