'I Was Burying the Corpses Myself,' Recalls Masalit Leader
As indiscriminate killings, sexual violence and famine deepen the crisis in Sudan, the Security Council must rise to the challenge of delivering lasting peace in that country, that body heard today from both humanitarian officials and Member States.
Noting that the war in Sudan has now raged for over 20 months, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted the "unbearable" numbers of civilians killed and injured there. She reported that Thomas Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, held discussions with Sudanese authorities in November, which led to agreement on increased humanitarian presence in key locations.
Also recalling his announcement of an immediate $5 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support efforts in eastern Chad, she added that permission to use the critical Adre border crossing was extended for three more months. However, while a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was able to reach Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur on 22 November, a second convoy was delayed by an escalation in fierce fighting.
Outlining three key asks, she stressed first that parties must comply with international humanitarian law. The appalling toll exacted on civilians must end, essential infrastructure must be spared and sexual violence must be stopped. Council members must use their influence to ensure that all humanitarian relief routes are open. Finally, donors must provide the $4.2 billion needed to support nearly 21 million people inside Sudan in 2025, as well as the $1.8 billion needed to support 5 million people - primarily refugees - in seven neighbouring countries.
"There are some in this Chamber who claim that any UN action to protect civilians would violate Sudan's sovereignty," observed Shayna Lewis, Senior Advisor and Sudan Specialist at the organization Preventing and Ending Mass Atrocities. Sovereignty, however, comes with a responsibility to protect civilians. Without immediate Council action, the world will not remember the geopolitical excuses, she cautioned, but rather the genocide that occurred "on our watch - again".
Spotlighting the role of "external backers" - including the United Arab Emirates - she stressed that they must not be allowed to profit from Sudan's "smuggled and blood-drenched gold". The international community must not "draw a false equivalency" between the actions of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, she added. Backed by the United Arab Emirates, the latter is attempting to "finish the genocide that began over 20 years ago", she said.
"If civilians are not dying from a bullet or bombs from the sky, they are dying from preventable famine," she continued, also pointing out that the massive telecommunications blackout - which has left 30 million civilians unable to access the Internet - is exacerbating the problem. Although negotiations have secured some humanitarian access, she emphasized that the aid is "only delaying death, not saving lives".
Also addressing the Council was Saad Bahr el-Din, Sultan of the Masalit, who told the Council that - even though previous statements were largely accurate - the bloodiest parts of the conflict were not reflected in these briefings. The Masalit and other tribes have been systematically targeted at a large scale because of their ethnic identity, he said, stating that crimes include genocides "that haven't been witnessed in our modern history". He added that his city was under siege for two months by the Rapid Support Forces, which bombarded it around the clock from all sides.
Additionally, he reported that foreign mercenaries prevented people and supplies from moving in or out and that snipers were stationed around water sources. "I myself was among those on the hit list," he said, recalling that - after 56 days - he fled his home at night, walking for 14 hours in the rain to help the wounded. Highlighting indiscriminate killing and torture, as well as the rape of women, he said: "I was burying the corpses myself."
The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias from neighbouring countries burned and buried people alive, he went on to say, pointing to videos online showing these atrocities. Further, thousands of people have fled to camps in eastern Chad, where they live in dire humanitarian conditions among children and elderly dying from famine. Calling for radical solutions that include security, humanitarian assistance and justice, he stressed that the quantity of weapons flowing in from some countries in the region is "unimaginable". The Council must pressure those countries to stop providing arms that feed the war in Sudan, he concluded.
Echoing that, Sudan's delegate said that the flow of weapons into his country has affected "the trajectory and balance of the war". The Rapid Support Forces have excelled in killing civilians, and the United Arab Emirates is using an aerial network to facilitate the Forces' regular access to weapons. Detailing this, he pointed to flights that took off from the United Arab Emirates and landed in Chad carrying "arms shipments to a warlord in southern Libya". Further, 160 Colombian mercenaries embedded in the Rapid Support Forces are employed by a company based in Abu Dhabi that works for the United Arab Emirates Government.
Calling for an end to this flow of weapons, he said that it is also vital to designate the Rapid Support Forces as a terrorist organization. Democracy is part and parcel of the culture of Sudan, and he underscored his Government's commitment to protecting civilians. It has made efforts to open air, sea and land crossings for humanitarian purposes and has renewed the opening of the Adre crossing for three months. And he pointed out that 3,980 of the 4,000 visa applications submitted have been approved and thousands of internal movement permits have been issued to humanitarian organizations.
Nevertheless, the representative of the United Arab Emirates said: "It is deeply regrettable that the Sudanese representative would, once again, exploit an important Council meeting to try to evade responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground by making unfounded allegations against the [United Arab Emirates]." These claims emanate from the Sudanese Armed Forces' unwillingness to participate in peace talks, he said, adding that their goal is to take power in Sudan "through the barrel of a gun". Calling on the warring parties to cease hostilities and put people ahead of their military objectives, he underscored that the weaponization of hunger must end.
Meanwhile, several delegates stressed the need to tackle the humanitarian crisis affecting the Sudanese people - which Switzerland's representative called the world's worst food crisis - while the United Kingdom's speaker described it as preventable man-made famine. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States and Council President for December, spoke in his national capacity to announce an additional $200 million in aid. Noting that this brings his country's total support for Sudan to $2.3 billion, he observed that States must double that to "even come close to meeting the immense demand". He added: "Don't just claim to be concerned about Sudan's future. Prove it."
For his part, Japan's delegate highlighted a $5 million contribution to the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to develop water supply and hospital facilities in Sudan's Kassala and Red Sea States, while the representative of the Republic of Korea said that Seoul has provided $12 million in humanitarian assistance. Türkiye's representative noted that his country has delivered 8,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Port Sudan. China's delegate, welcoming the Sudanese Government's opening of the Adre crossing, highlighted his country's agricultural assistance programme in Red Sea State.
Several speakers also stressed the importance of women's participation in political processes, including the representative of Malta, who commended Sudanese women for advancing peace at the grass-roots level. She also condemned "the epidemic of sexual violence" against women and girls - as did Slovenia's delegate, who pointed out that "women and children bear the heaviest brunt" of the violence.
Further, the call for ceasefire was heard repeatedly during today's debate, including from speakers in the region, such as the representative of Egypt who pointed to his country's common history and values with Sudan, as well as the 1.2 million Sudanese people it hosts. The international community must prevent this regional crisis from "metastasizing" into a global one and ensure that Sudan does not transform into a hub for terrorist groups, he added. In June 2023, Egypt hosted a conference for all Sudanese forces and participated in initiatives to achieve ceasefire, he recalled.
Such a ceasefire, said Algeria's delegate - also speaking for Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Guyana - depends not only on the willingness of Sudanese parties, but also on the support of regional and international partners. For its part, the Council must support good-faith diplomatic efforts while preserving the central role of the United Nations and African Union, he said, welcoming the third consultative meeting on Sudan recently held in Mauritania. Drawing attention to the unconscionable role of external actors in this conflict, he urged full respect for the established sanctions regime and arms embargo.
The representative of Ecuador also stressed that any external interference that fuels conflict and instability in Sudan is inexcusable. On another issue, France's delegate called for the creation of a mechanism to ensure that both parties implement the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan. He also expressed regret that a recent Council resolution concerning a ceasefire in Sudan was vetoed by the Russian Federation.
However, the representative of the Russian Federation said that his delegation voted against that text because it ran counter to international law and undermined Sudan's legitimate Government. Objecting to all "dubious schemes of political engineering", he stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that country "are not bargaining chips". While Sudan has already tried the entirety of the Council's toolbox, he observed that the only time it has experienced calm is "when the country has been left unbothered". He added: "Democracy and prosperity cannot be bought or sold like goods in a shop."
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