The UN Security Council called Friday for an “immediate” ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan which begins early next week, as famine threatens millions of people in the country.
The resolution adopted by 14 votes in favor and one abstention (Russia) “calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities before the month of Ramadan” and asks “all parties to the conflict to seek a lasting resolution through dialogue”.
It also calls on the belligerents to allow “full, rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, including via borders and across front lines” and to ensure the protection of civilians.
Thursday, during a meeting of the Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also launched a solemn appeal to “all parties present in Sudan to honor the values held by Ramadan by ceasing hostilities for all its duration.
“This cessation of hostilities must lead to definitively silencing the weapons throughout the country and allowing the Sudanese people to resolutely commit to the path to lasting peace,” he added, warning of the humanitarian crisis in an “inordinate scale”.
The fighting, which has raged since April 15, 2023 between the army of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the Rapid Support Forces (FSR, paramilitary) of General Mohammed Hamdane Daglo, former number two in military power, has killed thousands of deaths.
“Hypocrisy”
While most members of the Council supported the call for this ceasefire during Ramadan, some delegations were more reserved, notably China, which ultimately voted for, and Russia which abstained.
“We decided to let this resolution pass because it concerns the lives of the Sudanese,” commented Russian deputy ambassador Anna Evstigneeva, rejecting the idea that the Council could “impose its own rules and principles on Sovereign states.”
But “don’t you think the hypocrisy is obvious to everyone?” “, she said. “We know the true intention of the West. The double standards are particularly blatant when the same countries are dragging their feet to adopt a document on a ceasefire in Gaza where a real massacre is underway,” she added, in reference to the three American vetoes. on resolutions to this effect.
On Thursday, the representative of Sudan questioned the possibility that this appeal could become a reality.
“Mr. al-Burhane has just sent me a message where he welcomes the Secretary General’s call,” declared Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed. But “he wonders how to do it” while the paramilitaries “continually continue their attacks against civilians”, he added, calling on those who would like to see this call materialized to “present an implementation mechanism”.
“Extraordinary access problems”
Ceasefire or not, it is necessary to improve access for humanitarian aid, the head of the UN humanitarian operations office (OCHA) Martin Griffiths argued on Friday, denouncing “extraordinary problems of access” and calling on the parties to come back to the table on this issue.
The conflict has now displaced 8.3 million people, 1.7 million of whom have fled abroad, it said. Half of the 50 million inhabitants need humanitarian aid, and “a little less than 18 million people are on the path to famine”, which is “10 million more than at the same time last year “.
To prevent the situation from deteriorating further, more food must be brought in, but also seeds to plant for the next harvest, he insisted.
But “we have no money,” he denounced, regretting the lack of international interest in this crisis in Sudan.
The UN humanitarian response plan for Sudan in 2024, costed at $2.7 billion, is only 4% funded.