Rhino: Agencies – Fifteen countries and the European and African Union called Tuesday for an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” in Sudan, during a conference in London that mobilized pledges of more than 800 million euros in additional aid to the country mired in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis due to a war that has just entered its third year.
At the conference, which was organized at the initiative of Britain, the European Union, Germany, France, Germany and the African Union, participants stressed in their final statement the “need to prevent the division of Sudan”, which is torn apart by war.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized that “the war in Sudan has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world,” calling on the international community “not to turn a blind eye” to it.
“Many have abandoned Sudan … and this is morally wrong given the number of civilian deaths, infants barely one year old who have been subjected to sexual violence, and the number of people threatened with hunger that exceeds the levels recorded anywhere else in the world,” he said.
The war in Sudan between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hamidti, broke out on April 15, 2023, and turned the country into divided spheres of influence facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in years.
The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, more than 13 million displaced persons and refugees, and plunged the country of 50 million people into a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations, which says famine is gradually spreading.
The Sudanese government was not invited to participate and has protested to the United Kingdom, criticizing the British government’s approach that equates both sides of the conflict. The Sudanese army controls northern and eastern Sudan, while the Rapid Support Forces control the south and much of Darfur in the west.
At the opening of the conference, which brought together ministers from 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, as well as representatives of the United Nations and the Arab League, several countries announced new contributions for humanitarian assistance amounting to more than 800 million euros. This amount is in addition to nearly two billion euros mobilized last year during a similar summit in Paris.
The European Union plans to allocate an additional 522 million euros this year, and Commissioner for International Cooperation Hojjat Lahabib called for “joining forces” to demand that the warring parties “respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians.”
Before the opening of the conference, Lamy announced new aid of 120 million pounds (139.5 million euros), which will allow for the provision of vital supplies, especially for vulnerable children, and support for victims of sexual violence. Germany, for its part, is allocating an additional 125 million euros for Sudan and neighboring countries receiving large numbers of refugees. France will mobilize 50 million euros, according to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barro.
Refrain from intervening:
Before the conference opened, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that “continuing to turn a blind eye to the situation in Sudan,” where the war has entered its third year, would have “catastrophic consequences” for the country and the region.
“We must do everything we can to bring peace back to Sudan,” Grandi said, also warning Europeans of an influx of Sudanese refugees if adequate assistance is not provided. From London, African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Bankole Adeoye called for “an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” emphasizing that the AU “will not accept the disintegration of Sudan.”
“We call on all external actors to refrain from interfering in Sudan,” he said, while the Sudanese army accuses the UAE of supporting the Rapid Support Forces.
The UAE, for its part, denies these accusations and called on the warring parties on Tuesday in a statement to immediately adopt a “ceasefire”.
“Those who seek to gain power or influence in Sudan through military or financial support are fueling the conflict,” German Foreign Minister Annalina Berbock said.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “expressed grave concern at the continued flow of arms and fighters to Sudan” without naming the countries sending them. In their final communiqué, the conference participants emphasized the need for “no external interference” in the conflict. They also expressed their rejection of “any project, including parallel governments, that would jeopardize Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
