UN Security Council considers UK resolution calling for ceasefire and aid access in Sudan
FILE PHOTO: Civilians who fled the war-torn Sudan following the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) camp at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) transit centre in Renk, near the border crossing point in Renk County of Upper Nile State, South Sudan May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Jok Solomun
The United Nations Security Council is reviewing a draft resolution from Britain, urging Sudan’s rival factions to halt hostilities and permit unimpeded humanitarian aid across conflict lines and borders.
Fighting broke out in April 2023 over power between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as the country prepared for civilian governance, sparking a massive displacement crisis.
Ethnic violence has escalated, with the RSF bearing much of the blame, though it denies targeting civilians, attributing such acts to rogue elements. Recently, two RSF generals faced UN sanctions in the conflict’s first punitive measures.
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“Nineteen months into the war, both sides are committing egregious human rights violations, including the widespread rape of women and girls,” said Britain’s UN ambassador, Barbara Woodward, marking the start of Britain’s November presidency in the Council.
“More than half the Sudanese population are experiencing severe food insecurity,” she added. “Despite this, the SAF and the RSF remain focused on fighting each other and not the famine and suffering facing their country.”
The draft, if approved, would demand that the RSF “immediately halt its offensives” and call on all parties to facilitate “full, safe, rapid, and unhindered” humanitarian access.
Britain seeks a swift vote, requiring nine Council approvals and no vetoes from major powers. With Sudan’s temporary authorization for aid access via the Adre border with Chad expiring mid-November, Britain’s proposal also urges sustained, cross-border access as the crisis worsens.
According to the UN, the fight between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which began in mid-April 2023, has killed over 20,000 people and displaced about 13 million others.
The fighting has expanded to 13 of Sudan‘s 18 states and millions of Sudanese are on the verge of starvation and death from food shortages.
