United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for a ceasefire in Sudan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying it was time for the country’s rival generals to lay down their arms as the country’s humanitarian crisis reaches “enormous proportions.”
“I call on all parties in Sudan to respect the values of Ramadan and abide by the cessation of hostilities during Ramadan,” Guterres told a Security Council meeting on the situation in Sudan, which begins early next week.
“The cessation of hostilities must lead to a complete silencing of gunfire across the country and establish a solid path for the Sudanese people towards lasting peace,” he added.
He said the country’s unity was at risk and the war was likely to spark regional instability of “severe magnitude” from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Fighting broke out last April between Sudan’s army chief of staff, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The two generals were allies of Sudan’s transitional government after the 2021 coup but later became rivals for power.
The ensuing power struggle resulted in thousands of deaths, a mass displacement crisis and mass atrocities, particularly against non-Arab communities in the country’s Darfur region. Hunger also reached catastrophic proportions.
“We are already receiving reports of children dying from malnutrition,” Guterres said.
He said the United Nations’ efforts to provide aid to millions of people faced many challenges and that all parties must adhere to the Jeddah Declaration, which called for comprehensive assistance to all people by land and air, regardless of who controls the area.
Britain, which is responsible for Sudan in the 15-nation council, circulated a draft resolution echoing the secretary-general’s call for a ceasefire and calling for more aid.
“The situation in Sudan requires a strong response from the Security Council and increased attention from the international community,” Deputy Ambassador James Kariuki told the Security Council. “As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, we echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate ceasefire, and urges all parties to allow unimpeded cross-border and cross-border movement.”
He told reporters that Britain planned to bring the resolution to the Security Council for a vote on Friday.
On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said countries providing weapons to hostile generals were promoting “death, destruction and depravity.”
She said a report released this week by a panel of experts monitoring the implementation of Security Council sanctions on Sudan documented “stomach-turning” atrocities.
“As this report details, arms transfers by a handful of regional powers are exacerbating conflicts – arms transfers must stop,” she told reporters.
The United Nations says about 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, need some form of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 18 million people face severe food insecurity.
Sudan is now home to the world’s worst internal displacement crisis, with 6.3 million people forced to leave their homes in search of safety. Another 1.7 million people have fled to neighboring countries. More than 70% of health facilities in areas where fighting has taken place have ceased operations.
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