United Nations officials say talks between Sudan's warring parties continued in Geneva on Friday, focusing on regional peace efforts as well as an immediate cessation of hostilities and a resolution of the more than 14-month conflict through dialogue. The development comes as fighting rages in many parts of the country, which has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with some 25 million people - half of Sudan's population - in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their respective allied armed groups since April 15, 2023. Fighting erupted last year between Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The two generals were once allies in Sudan's transitional government following a coup in 2021, but have become rivals for power amid a stalled transition to elections and a civilian-led government. The ensuing power struggle has killed and injured tens of thousands of people, caused a massive displacement crisis and led to large-scale atrocities, particularly against non-Arab communities in the country's Darfur region.
The discussions, which began Thursday, were convened by the UN envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra. Lamamra has been working for months to broker further talks between the two sides in the conflict. He has held regular talks with bodies such as the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to support regional peace efforts.
The two delegations are made up of senior representatives from both warring parties. It is not clear how long the talks will last, but they continued today. The talks are being convened in a "proximity format," meaning that Lamamra and his team are engaging separately with each party to the conflict.
In response to questions at a media briefing in Geneva, UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said the talks are discussing measures to ensure the distribution of humanitarian aid to all Sudanese people and options to ensure the protection of civilians throughout Sudan. The discussions also seek to identify ways to advance the measures, including through possible local cease-fires, she said.
According to the spokesperson, the talks are based on the mandate of two UN Security Council resolutions (2724 and 2736) on the situation in Sudan, the first of which deals with regional peace efforts and the second with an immediate cessation of hostilities and a resolution of the conflict through dialogue.
Both warring parties were in the Swiss city, but one did not engage with the UN envoy on Thursday, Vellucci said. Lamamra has invited both parties to participate on Friday, while the world body has urged all parties to engage in talks to address the situation in Sudan, which is deteriorating by the day.
Sudan continues to descend into chaos, with the humanitarian crisis worsening and the conflict taking a terrible toll on civilians in El Fasher in the Darfur region and other conflict hotspots.
On Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it remains gravely concerned by the deadly fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which has affected residential areas, markets, hospitals and sites hosting displaced people.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), up to 329,000 people have been displaced from the city during the months of April, May and June.
Today, OCHA expressed deep concern about a surge in displacement due to ongoing fighting in Sennar State, in the southeast of the country. According to the IOM, more than 150,000 men, women and children in Sennar have reportedly been displaced inside and outside the state since June 24.
Aid agencies are assisting those who have fled the fighting in Sennar. To date, the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided assistance to nearly 46,000 people displaced to Blue Nile State, further south, as well as thousands who have fled to neighboring Gedaref State. WFP says the fighting in Sennar signals an alarming spread of the conflict eastward toward Port Sudan.
In a related development, Radhouane Nouicer, the Designated Expert on Sudan of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, sounded the alarm on Friday about the dire human rights situation in the country as fighting spreads to new areas.
“Since the start of this senseless conflict last year, the civilian population in Sudan has been exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and suffering. As always in times of war, it is civilians who are bearing the brunt. The scale and magnitude of human rights violations and abuses committed in Sudan are appalling,” said Nouicer in a statement at the end of a five-day visit to Port Sudan.
Port Sudan is one of the few major cities still held by the Sudanese Armed Forces. During his visit, Nouicer met with Sudanese officials and urged the countries’ authorities to immediately take action on four key priority areas.
“First, to ensure the protection of civilians in the context of hostilities by refraining from indiscriminate attacks, including through the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas. Second, to allow unhindered humanitarian access – including by speeding up administrative processes – to allow for humanitarian assistance to be delivered to those in need,” Nouicer said.
“Third, to refrain from arbitrarily arresting and detaining people, including civil society actors; and fourth, to ensure accountability for all human rights violations and abuses, regardless of the perpetrators.”
Nouicer stressed that the conflict in Sudan has resulted in an unprecedented protection crisis.
“It is high time for the Sudanese leadership to cease hostilities and to engage in a comprehensive and inclusive peace process. Every country that has influence or leverage should aim to reach and support this goal,” he said.
Nouicer also recalled that all actors should comply with the arms embargo measures set out in Security Council Resolution 1556 (2004).
“Further, under international human rights law, arms-exporting countries may be held responsible for their failure to take reasonable steps to prevent, investigate, punish, and ensure reparations for human rights violations and abuses resulting from arms transfers,” he said.
Since the beginning of the war, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) has recorded more than 18,700 reported deaths in Sudan. The true death toll is feared to be much higher. Tens of thousands have been injured in the fighting.
Millions of Sudanese have been internally displaced or have fled the country; Sudan is now the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, with over 11 million people forced to flee within the country.
The total number of Sudanese refugees is estimated at more than 2.8 million, including those forced to flee before the start of the war. In total, more than 13 million people have now been displaced by conflict in Sudan, making it one of the two largest displacement crises in the world, alongside the Syrian conflict.
Most of the Sudanese who have crossed borders have sought refuge in the seven countries that surround the northeastern African country. South Sudan has received the largest number of people from Sudan - more than 700,000 - many of them South Sudanese returning after many years. Chad has seen the largest influx of refugees in its history, with more than 600,000 people crossing the border.
Hunger in the country has reached catastrophic levels. The rapid deterioration of food security in Sudan has left 755,000 people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5) with a risk of famine in 14 areas, including Darfur States, Kordofan States, Al Jazirah State and some hotspots in Khartoum State. 8.5 million people are projected to be in emergency hunger (IPC Phase 4).
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) analysis, published in June 2024, a total of 25.6 million people - 50 percent of the population - are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse). The worst conditions are in the areas most affected by fighting and where conflict-displaced people are concentrated.
The war between the SAF and the RSF is being conducted with new levels of violence and brutality against civilians, especially in the states of Darfur. The RSF has been accused of mass killings and rape as a means of warfare. However, both parties to the conflict have been accused of serious war crimes.
Thousands are being ethnically targeted, killed, injured, abused and exploited, forcing more and more people to flee the violence. Gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence, is being used as a tool of war and has spread to many parts of the country.
More than half of Sudan's population - 24.8 million people - are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Among those in need are more than 14 million children.
The dire humanitarian situation in Sudan has barely received the international political and media attention it deserves, and funding to address needs in neighboring countries and throughout Sudan is woefully inadequate.
As of July 12, only 18 percent of the US$2.6 billion needed under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) to provide life-saving assistance to more than 18 million people inside Sudan has been received.
Further information
Full text: End of mission statement by the Designated Expert on human rights in Sudan of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Radhouane Nouicer, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, statement, released July 12, 2024
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/countries/sudan/20240712-eom-stm-sudan.docx