Rhino: Yasir Arman, the deputy chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), has accused the Sudanese government of preventing humanitarian aid from reaching Darfur via Chad, and of using food as a weapon.

In a tweet on his X account on Sunday, Arman criticized the refusal of Ali Al-Sadiq, the deputy permanent representative of Sudan to the United Nations, to a request by the World Food Programme (WFP) to send humanitarian aid through the Chadian border.

Al-Sadiq justified his refusal by saying that there is information about the use of the border to smuggle weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but Arman considered the justification unconvincing, and said that the government is trying to prevent aid from reaching Darfur for political reasons.

Arman proposed a number of solutions, including Benefiting from previous experiences, such as Operation Lifeline Sudan, which was implemented during the 1980s to transport humanitarian aid during the war in the south.

He proposed Establishing monitored crossing points on the border between Chad and Sudan, similar to those used during the rule of former President Omar al-Bashir.

Declaring a comprehensive and humanitarian ceasefire before the advent of Ramadan, to open the way for the return of the displaced and refugees, the resumption of agricultural activity, the distribution of aid, the cessation of war, and the protection of civilians.

Arman’s accusations come amid escalating international criticism of the Sudanese government for human rights abuses in Darfur.

It is worth noting that the Darfur region has been witnessing an armed conflict since 2003, which has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and displaced.

Many areas of the region suffer from a severe shortage of food and medicine, amid warnings of a worsening humanitarian crisis.