The UN political chief has said that the year-old war in Sudan between rival generals vying for power has sparked a crisis of epic proportions, fueled by weapons from foreign supporters who continue to flout UN sanctions aimed at helping end the conflict. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, told the UN Security Council that the crisis is illegal and immoral, and it must stop. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chair of the African Union panel on Sudan and high representative for its Silence the Guns in Africa initiative, called external interference “a major factor compounding both the efforts to negotiate a cease-fire and to stop the war. Neither DiCarlo nor Chambas named any of the foreign supporters.
Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. Fighting has spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas and the western Darfur region. DiCarlo said that over 14,000 people are dead now, tens of thousands have been injured, and over 25 million people are in need of life-saving assistance. Over 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
