The United States advocated on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, for the United Nations Security Council to intervene in resolving a nearly year-long conflict in Sudan involving the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Allegations have surfaced suggesting war crimes committed by the warring factions, with the RSF and allied militias also accused of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. The United Nations reports that approximately 25 million people, constituting half of Sudan’s population, require humanitarian assistance, with around 8 million individuals displaced from their homes and facing escalating food insecurity.
In a statement to Reuters, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized the pressing nature of the situation, asserting, “It is clear that this is an urgent matter of peace and security that demands greater attention from the Security Council.” She urged the council to act promptly to alleviate human suffering, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and bring an end to the conflict, citing the dwindling window of opportunity.
While emphasizing the urgency of the matter, Thomas-Greenfield refrained from specifying the precise action the 15-member council should undertake.
Since the outbreak of hostilities on April 15, 2023, the council has issued only three press statements, condemning the conflict and expressing concern. This sentiment was reiterated in a December resolution that terminated a U.N. political mission, following a request from Sudan’s acting foreign minister.
According to a U.N. sanctions monitoring report disclosed by Reuters last month, ethnic violence perpetrated by the RSF and allied Arab militia claimed between 10,000 and 15,000 lives in a single city within Sudan’s West Darfur region last year.
Expressing dismay over the lack of attention given to the allegations outlined in the report, Thomas-Greenfield, who visited a refugee camp in Chad near Sudan’s Darfur border in September, highlighted the insufficient response from both within and outside the U.N. Security Council.
The Sudanese government recently imposed restrictions on aid deliveries through Chad, effectively obstructing a crucial supply route to the vast Darfur region, which is under the control of the rival RSF. Thomas-Greenfield condemned the action, labeling it “unacceptable” for jeopardizing a “critical lifeline” for those in need.
(Reuters)
