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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
How civil wars in Sudan and South Sudan jeopardise Africa's security
Without meaningful intervention, both Sudan and South Sudan risk becoming the epicentre of the next great African crisis read more The ongoing civil wars in Sudan and South Sudan are among the most complex and interconnected conflicts in the world today. Though distinct in their origins and dynamics, they are increasingly intertwined. This convergence is not merely a matter of geographical proximity as it involves shared actors, overlapping interests, and a complex web of alliances and enmities that transcend national borders, threatening to spill over into a larger regional war that could destabilise the entire region and beyond. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sudan: A War of Attrition and Collapse The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 when two former allies, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, turned against each other. Initially centred in the capital, Khartoum, the conflict quickly spread nationwide, morphing into a grinding war of attrition. As each side continues to try to gain an advantage by seizing natural resources and cutting supply lines, the consequences of this war have been catastrophic for the civilians. More than 150,000 people have been killed, and over 12.5 million displaced. Half the country faces severe food insecurity, while over 30 million people need humanitarian aid. The health system is near total collapse, with diseases spreading and medical infrastructure in ruins. Sudan now constitutes the locus of one of the world's most extensive and acute displacement and humanitarian crises. The international community has so far failed to broker peace. Mediation efforts from the US and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah could not produce any outcome, so as negotiations initiated by Egypt, the UAE, and Switzerland. External actors, often with competing agendas and support for different factions, have only added to the chaos. South Sudan: Fragile Peace and Rising Tensions Meanwhile, South Sudan, the world's youngest country, is facing the imminent risk of a resurgence in civil war. The 2013-18 conflict between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar caused immense devastation and displacement. Although the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict (R-ARCSS) was signed in 2018, peace has remained elusive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The fragile unity government formed under the R-ARCSS agreement has repeatedly postponed national elections. Tensions have risen dramatically since early 2025 following a series of cabinet reshuffles, arrests of opposition figures, and the house arrest of Vice President Machar. Clashes in Upper Nile, Bahr El-Ghazal, and Equatoria regions have raised fears of another full-scale conflict. The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is also exacerbated by climate change, economic instability, and an influx of refugees from Sudan. Currently, the peace process is under immense strain, with both the Tumaini Peace Initiative and the 2018 peace deal stalled. Convergence of Two Conflicts and its Regional Implications Amidst this, the most alarming development is the growing entanglement between these two wars of Sudan and South Sudan. The February 2025 alliance between Sudan's RSF and South Sudan's SPLM-North (SPLM-N) represents a pivotal moment, setting the stage for a pan-regional conflagration. SPLM-N controls large swaths of South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states adjacent to the South Sudan border. This alliance opens up new logistical and military corridors for the RSF, allowing them to smuggle arms and supplies through South Sudan and Ethiopia. In response, the Sudanese army (SAF) has begun arming the South Sudanese militias, known as the White Army, to counter this alliance, creating a proxy war landscape along the 2,000 km shared border. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If South Sudan collapses into full civil war, the borders between the two countries, already porous and poorly controlled, will become entirely militarised and destabilised. With both Sudanese factions now fostering ties with South Sudanese actors, the boundary between the two wars is blurring. If South Sudan descends into full-scale conflict, the distinction between two civil wars may disappear entirely, creating a regional war. As the region strategically located at the crossroads of the Red Sea and the Sahel with 12-15 per cent of global trade and 20 per cent of global container shipping. If the situation doesn't de-escalate, it would result in significant disruption to global trade through significant increases in shipping costs, longer transit times, and supply chain issues. As a matter of fact, the ramifications of this convergence is already stretched well beyond the two countries' borders, driven by a combination of interrelated factors that exacerbate existing tensions and instability. For instance, Uganda has been actively involved in South Sudan's peace process and has deployed troops to South Sudan's capital Juba to bolster Kiir's government. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ethiopia shares borders with both Sudan and South Sudan and has historical ties to various factions within these countries. Given Ethiopia's own ongoing ethnic conflict in the Tigray region, any escalation in the Blue Nile risks drawing Ethiopia into the conflict, particularly if its border regions become conduits for arms smuggling, rebel activity, or the movement of displaced populations. While not directly involved, Kenya is also concerned about the potential for increased refugee flows and regional instability affecting its security and economic interests. Further, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Russia are already playing significant roles in these conflicts, whether through the provision of arms, facilitation of gold smuggling, investment in oil infrastructure, or competition over strategic access to the Red Sea. These foreign powers support rival factions within Sudan and South Sudan, contributing to the fragmentation of the conflict and increasing the likelihood of its internationalisation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A Dangerous Path Forward The convergence of the wars in Sudan and South Sudan represents a critical tipping point for the region. As the region is already contending with several challenges, including food insecurity, climate change, and political fragility, it requires urgent and coordinated international action. Furthermore, the intertwining of these two conflicts, fuelled by internal divisions and external interventions, threatens to engulf the region in a broader war with devastating humanitarian consequences. In light of the evolving situation, the international community must prioritise diplomatic engagement, humanitarian assistance, and support for regional peace initiatives to prevent further escalation and work toward a stable and peaceful future for the region. The African Union, the United Nations, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) need to intensify their mediation efforts. Establishing and safeguarding humanitarian corridors is essential to ensure the effective delivery of aid to affected populations. Furthermore, principal stakeholders must prioritise inclusive political solutions and transitional justice mechanisms that address root grievances. Without meaningful intervention, both Sudan and South Sudan risk becoming the epicentre of the next great African crisis, with profound and far-reaching implications for regional and global stability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Samir Bhattacharya is Associate Fellow at Observer Research Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
The South African
a day ago
- Politics
- The South African
Sudan famine fears rise as UN food aid dries up
The United Nations (UN) funding crisis is contributing to a rise in starvation and malnutrition among millions of refugees in Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that there could be a major cutback in the delivery of vital food assistance. Seven neighbouring nations (Central Africa, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Uganda, and South Sudan) are currently sheltering displaced Sudanese while dealing with this crisis. Extreme food insecurity and a high degree of conflict already exist in many host countries. This funding crisis is currently making the UN's operations extremely challenging. Major donors, including the United States, have significantly reduced their spending on foreign aid. The United States has cut some of its aid funding for the United Nations (Sudan), as well as several other countries. Additionally, other traditional donors, such as Germany and the United Kingdom (UK), have cut back on aid spending. As a result of this, the WFP had to make significant budget cuts. The Armed Forces of Sudan's (SAF) commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is fighting his former subordinate, General Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo. Hemedti leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), embroiled in a power struggle amidst the war in Sudan. Their disagreement centres on when and how to integrate the RSF into the SAF, a crucial step in shifting to civilian rule. Former President Omar al-Bashir established the RSF in 2013, designing its command structure and economic networks to function as an autonomous force that would balance the military and safeguard his government from coups. Existing problems like the collapse of economic funding, climatic crises, and violence have become worse because of this war. The dispute between military chiefs General Burhan and General Dagalo has plunged the country into crisis and chaos. In 2025, Sudan's humanitarian response plan only received 14.4%, or US$599.6 million (R10.9 billion), of the US$4.16 billion (R75.5 billion) needed for all domestic aid. Despite this, over the next six months, the WFP urgently needs an extra US$200 million (roughly R3.6 billion) for its regional refugee response in neighbouring countries. Humanitarian assistance may end if immediate funding is not provided. With the daily influx of refugees, supplies in Chad are running low amidst the crisis. Inside Sudan, over eight million people are on the brink of famine. Acute malnutrition disproportionately affects children, especially during critical periods. The WFP urges the international community to mobilise additional resources. HOW CAN THE UN STOP SUDAN FROM EXPERIENCING THIS CRISIS? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Mada
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mada
Sudan Nashra: Burhan agrees to week-long humanitarian truce in Fasher Armed groups' ministerial quotas derail PM's technocratic vision Hemedti makes first field appearance in two years, strikes conciliatory tone toward Egypt, armed groups
Amid a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in North Darfur's Fasher — besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for over a year — Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) Chair and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan agreed on Friday to a humanitarian truce proposed by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres during a phone call between the two. North Darfur Health Ministry General Director Ibrahim Khater told Mada Masr that an air bridge is expected to be deployed soon to deliver aid to the city. On the political front, Prime Minister Kamel Idris is facing mounting obstacles in his bid to form a nonpartisan technocratic government — a key pledge he made upon taking office a month ago. In his consultations with the TSC and armed movements signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement, Burhan offered recommendations that effectively made regional representation a key criterion in the selection process, while armed movements are insisting on retaining the ministerial quotas granted to them under the deal. Both demands undermine Idris's promise. Across Sudan's western border with the Central African Republic, the UN Security Council raised alarm over RSF incursions into the neighboring country and its cooperation with local armed groups. Domestically, internal rifts within RSF ranks are emerging in West and North Kordofan, as well as in Nyala, South Darfur, amid an increasingly volatile security landscape in RSF-controlled areas. In Bara, North Kordofan, clashes broke out between Sudanese RSF fighters and mercenaries, followed by sweeping raids on villages across the state. In West Kordofan, tensions escalated between members of the Messira and Rizeigat tribes after discriminatory treatment of those wounded in last week's assault on Babanusa. Meanwhile in Nyala, South Darfur, RSF groups attacked two RSF prisons in an attempt to release detainees. Infighting among RSF factions continues in the city's neighborhoods, alongside widespread looting and detentions. In his first field appearance among his troops in nearly two years, RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo struck a conciliatory tone toward Egypt, proposing a political dialogue to resolve tensions. His comments came less than two weeks after the RSF took control over the strategic border triangle between Sudan, Egypt and Libya, in the far northwest of Northern State. *** PM's vision for technocratic cabinet runs into political, regional quotas During consultations with the TSC and armed movement signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement, Prime Minister Kamel Idris's plan to form a fully nonpartisan technocratic cabinet ran into interference. TSC Chair and SAF Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan offered recommendations that push regional representation to be a key criterion in the selection process, while armed movements are insisting on retaining their ministerial positions without change. A former cabinet official told Mada Masr that Idris is under a lot of pressure from the armed groups, especially the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which is not only insisting on keeping certain ministries but is also lobbying for the reappointment of former ministers. In a statement issued Tuesday, JEM spokesperson Mohamed Zakaria reaffirmed the group's commitment to the Juba Peace Agreement, including the executive positions it guarantees. The group's leader, Gibril Ibrahim, has served as finance minister since 2021. Signed in October 2020 between the transitional government and several armed groups led by the Sudan Revolutionary Front, the deal granted these movements representation across transitional institutions — three seats on the TSC, five unspecified ministerial posts in the executive cabinet and 75 seats in the transitional legislative council. The five ministries they ultimately came to occupy are finance, minerals, labor and social development, administrative reform and federal governance. Meanwhile, though Idris had hoped to avoid entrenched regional divisions in his Cabinet, Burhan's recommendations effectively made regional representation a determining factor in the selection criteria, a senior official at the Cabinet secretariat told Mada Masr. Sudan's transitional period has been marked by deepening ethnic and regional divisions — rifts that have only widened with the outbreak of war. These dynamics are mirrored in the makeup of the TSC, whose membership is structured around geographical representation. Still, a senior TSC source told Mada Masr that the delay in forming the government does not constitute a serious obstacle. The purpose of the consultations with the armed groups and the TSC is to ensure the new government's success, the source said. Amid the stall, Idris moved ahead with appointments outside the portfolios held by armed groups — though regionally weighted — issuing a decree on Tuesday naming Lieutenant General Hassan Dawoud Kabroun, from South Kordofan, defense minister, and Police Lieutenant General Babiker Samra, from the Red Sea State, as interior minister. A source at the Defense Ministry described Kabroun as one of the military's most prominent commanders, credited with defending the General Command in central Khartoum during the two-year siege. Another military source noted that Kabroun maintains strong ties with military-aligned battalions and that his appointment was welcomed by combat units fighting alongside the military. As for Samra, a source at the Interior Ministry said he has held several senior leadership roles within the ministries, including as director of the criminal investigations and intelligence department and of general inspection department, as well as head of administrative and planning affairs. He has also completed advanced training in Sudan and abroad, notably in Egypt, and has participated in programs on strategic studies and migration control, according to the source. Some ministers in the Cabinet that was dissolved upon Idris's appointment are expected to retain their posts. Three informed sources in the TSC said Energy Minister Mohie Eddin Naim and Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim may be reappointed, following praise from Burhan and other council members for their performance. Both are independent figures with no ties to political parties or armed groups. Consensus has also been reached between the TSC and Idris over the nomination of diplomat Badr Eddin al-Geifry as the new foreign minister, a senior diplomatic source told Mada Masr. As political influence has already begun to shape the new transitional period, the prospects of a true technocratic, nonpartisan government that Idris pledged in his speech last week appears to be waning. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo made his first public field appearance in two years, addressing his troops in a remote area outside Khartoum. Hemedti had only made two public field appearances with his troops — first on Nile Street near the Presidential Palace on the war's first day, and again, months later, in southern Khartoum — before vanishing from the field and only appearing in pre-recorded video messages. In a speech delivered Tuesday and filmed by a drone camera, Hemedti was flanked by masked guards and standing before thousands of RSF fighters, as he struck a defiant tone toward the military leadership while adopting a more conciliatory stance when speaking about the armed movements fighting against him and toward Egypt. Hemedti expressed a desire to open a new chapter in relations with Egypt, voicing respect for the Egyptian people and emphasizing that disputes should be settled through dialogue. Hemedti has repeatedly accused Egypt of directly participating in military operations against his forces. In May 2024, he told Asharq News that the Egyptian Air Force had targeted RSF troops in the Karrari locality in Omdurman. Later in October, he claimed Egyptian aircraft had bombed his forces at Jebel Moya during the battles that ended in the RSF's defeat. Again in early June 2025, he said Cairo supplied the military with eight aircraft. His call for dialogue comes shortly after the RSF announced control over the strategic border triangle between Sudan, Libya and Egypt in mid-June, describing it as a step toward enhancing security and combating smuggling. Hemedti also pledged to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to conflict-affected areas, saying the RSF would work to secure roads and access routes. Vowing a crackdown on what he described as criminals and outlaws in RSF-held regions, he instructed his troops in different states to enforce order. Among other pledges made during his speech, he promised to pay overdue salaries to RSF fighters. Addressing residents of northern Sudan, where the RSF has expanded its operations in recent weeks, Hemedti insisted that forces deployed in the area included no looters — an implicit response to persistent accusations of abuse against civilians. He also launched a scathing attack on the military, claiming it had been severely weakened and vowing to 'crush what remains' of it. At the same time, he struck a more conciliatory tone toward leaders of armed groups allied with the military — naming Darfur Governor and Sudan Liberation Movement leader Minni Arko Minnawi and JEM's Gibril Ibrahim — saying he would welcome their return to the RSF's side if they chose to do so. *** Sudanese, foreign RSF fighters clash in North Kordofan, civilians flee as RSF raids, loots villages across state Clashes broke out on Monday in the city of Bara, North Kordofan, between Sudanese members of the RSF and foreign fighters aligned with them, resulting in casualties and a sharp deterioration in the area's security situation. Fighting broke out between RSF fighters from the Messiria tribe and a group of mercenaries led by Stephen Buay, the rebel South Sudanese commander, a resident of Bara told Mada Masr. The confrontation was triggered by accusations from Messiria fighters that the foreign mercenaries were sowing chaos and looting civilians, according to the source. Both sides sustained casualties before the RSF commander in the area, Mohamed Abdallah al-Naem, intervened to deescalate the situation, vowing to take action against the perpetrators, the source said. Still, the source described the situation in Bara and its surroundings as chaotic and dangerous, with residents fleeing toward safer areas. On Tuesday, RSF fighters launched a wave of attacks in both northern and southern North Kordofan. To the southwest of Bara, RSF fighters raided and looted several villages, killing or injuring residents who tried to defend their property, a second source from Bara said. The most violent assaults targeted the villages of Sunut and Um Tagar. The same pattern unfolded on the same day in southern North Kordofan, where RSF fighters stormed the villages of Alhagouna and Lamina in Kazgil. According to three local sources, the fighters looted homes and attacked resisting residents, leaving more than 20 civilians killed or wounded. The attacks coincide with RSF expansion in and around Bara on Monday and Tuesday. According to the second source in Bara, RSF units have taken positions in nearby areas including Um Gerfa and Um Sayala. Forces under the command of Ahmed 'Gogga' Adam — who led widespread atrocities in Gezira State and the Gamuia villages south of Omdurman — have been stationed in Um Lahm, outside Bara, and continue to pose a serious threat to local residents. On Wednesday, the RSF announced they regained control of the town of Rahid al-Nuba, which the military had captured two weeks earlier. A field source told Mada Masr that the RSF dispatched 30 combat vehicles carrying troops to Rahid al-Nuba on Thursday in a bid to solidify their hold and block any renewed military advance. Rahid al-Nuba is located along the western Saderat Road, a strategic route the military is working to secure as part of a broader push to reclaim northern parts of North Kordofan. A military source said the military deployed heavy reinforcements in the area on Sunday. *** Tribal rift ignites in RSF after disputed treatment of wounded fighters in West Kordofan Heavy losses sustained by the RSF during their failed attempt last week to seize the military's command center in Babanusa, West Kordofan, have ignited internal tensions within RSF ranks. The fallout from the battle took a distinctly tribal turn that went beyond disagreements, a tribal source told Mada Masr. According to the source, friction has escalated between fighters who are members of the Mahariya clan and the broader Rizeigat tribe on one side, and those from the Messeria tribe on the other, over the treatment of the dozens of wounded fighters after last week's clashes. While injured Mahariya and Rizeigat fighters were transferred to well-equipped hospitals in Daein, Messiria casualties were taken to under-resourced facilities in Muglad and Um Jack. The disparity sparked outrage among the Messiria, who viewed it as a clear act of discrimination. Speaking to Mada Masr, a resident in Muglad described it as a 'double humiliation in a moment of vulnerability.' A source in the General Intelligence Service said the incident reveals the fragility of the RSF's internal structure, which has long relied on precarious tribal alliances. Such divisions could cause the RSF to fracture from within, the source said, triggering defections or rebellions, especially as it comes under mounting military pressure on multiple fronts. Rival armed groups or the military might then exploit such internal unrest to regain territories, according to the source. *** RSF factions launch prison raids in Nyala, South Darfur Fighting broke out this week at two prisons in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, as RSF groups attempted to free detainees held at the facilities. On Tuesday, clashes broke out between prison guards and RSF units loyal to Major General Essam Fadil — the RSF senior leader who had been detained by the group — at Dagris Prison, southwest of the city, a resident told Mada Masr. The prison houses a significant number of military officers and soldiers captured by the RSF. The assault did not target the location where Fadil is being held. A retired military officer from the Rizeigat tribe, Fadil was reinstated into the RSF several years before the current war erupted. The prison raid came amid deteriorating conditions in Nyala, where the RSF launched a sweeping campaign of arrests targeting both military personnel and civilians suspected of collaborating with the military. According to the source, RSF fighters tried to storm Dagris Prison to release detainees, but guards, bolstered by reinforcements, eventually regained control. Nonetheless, several detainees managed to escape. Simultaneously, another RSF group attacked Nyala's Kobar Prison, leading to the escape of dozens more detainees, the source added. A military source told Mada Masr that Fadil has been held under heavy guard since November 2024, amid declining health. He was accused of communicating with the military and attempting to coordinate a surrender. At the time, Fadil appeared in a video denying he had defected from the RSF. Fadil is regarded as the fourth highest ranking RSF leader after the Dagalo brothers and Operations Commander Osman Mohamed Hamid. Before the war broke out in April 2023, he served as assistant commander for administrative affairs and headed the RSF's committee tasked with combating negative phenomena. In response to the prison attacks, head of the RSF-affiliated civilian administration Youssef Idris announced on Saturday the formation of a committee to investigate the incidents at both the Kobar and Dagris prisons. Idris said that the committee's mandate is limited to establishing the facts surrounding this week's attacks on the two facilities. Meanwhile, Nyala remains gripped by a sharp deterioration in security, as lawlessness and infighting between RSF factions continue to escalate. Caption: Civilians in Nyala flee amid RSF clashes last week. The source in Nyala said that RSF elements have been carrying out widespread looting, arbitrarily detaining civilians on charges of collaborating with the military, and demanding ransoms for their release. They have also been extorting traders and imposing fees on vehicles along main roads. Infighting has spilled into residential neighborhoods, and bodies of both military officers and civilians are left in the streets, according to the source. *** UN Security Council links RSF to cross-border armed activity in Central African Republic As instability deepens along Sudan's RSF-held western border, the UN Security Council directly accused the RSF of collaborating with armed groups near the border with the Central African Republic. In a statement on Tuesday, the council condemned the killing of a UN peacekeeper in a June 20 attack by what it described as 'suspected Sudanese armed elements.' It noted that this marked the third assault on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic since the start of 2025. Council members voiced concern over the implications of Sudan's conflict for the humanitarian and security situation, pointing to 'incursions by the RSF in the territory of the Central African Republic and their cooperation with local armed groups.' The statement also referenced multiple reports of illicit cross-border trafficking networks that 'continue to fund and supply armed groups in the Central African Republic.' The council called for the need to further investigate and combat these threats. Burhan agreed on Friday to a humanitarian truce in Fasher, North Darfur, during a phone call with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Guterres called on Burhan to declare a one-week humanitarian truce in Fasher to support UN efforts and facilitate aid delivery to thousands of civilians trapped in the besieged city. Burhan agreed to the proposal and stressed the importance of implementing relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The council adopted a resolution in June 2024 that calls for the RSF to end the siege on Fasher, and for the warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians and allow and facilitate 'the rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained passage of humanitarian relief.' The Darfur regional government, in coordination with the military's Sixth Division in Fasher, is preparing to carry out airdrop operations to deliver humanitarian aid, a military source in the division said. North Darfur's Health Ministry General Director Ibrahim Khater also confirmed to Mada Masr that large-scale logistical efforts were underway to deliver relief supplies by air. The truce and renewed aid deliveries come as the humanitarian crisis in North Darfur — particularly in Fasher — continues to deepen. The city has been under a tight RSF siege for months, cutting off supply routes and pushing it to the brink of disaster. Airdrop operations had been suspended after an RSF attack brought down a military aircraft over Fasher in March, according to Khater.
Roya News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
US sanctions on Sudan over alleged chemical weapons use take effect
Sanctions imposed by the United States on Sudan's government over its alleged use of chemical weapons during last year's civil war have officially taken effect, according to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register. The measures include restrictions on US exports, arms sales, and financial dealings with the government in Khartoum. These sanctions are set to remain in place for at least one year. Washington said assistance to Sudan will be suspended, with exceptions made only for "urgent humanitarian assistance and food or other agricultural commodities or products." However, the US government noted that some restrictions will be partially waived 'because it is essential to the national security interests of the United States.' The State Department previously said that the United States "calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations" under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty banning the use of such weapons. The sanctions follow a New York Times report in January citing anonymous US officials who alleged that Sudan's military used chlorine gas at least twice in remote areas during its conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum has denied the accusations. While the sanctions mark a formal escalation, their immediate impact may be limited. Both Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo—former allies now leading opposing forces—are already under existing US sanctions. The war between Sudan's military and the RSF erupted in April 2023, plunging the country into chaos. Tens of thousands have been killed, and some 13 million people displaced in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Warning over nation 'staring into humanitarian abyss' - with direct impact on UK
Sudan is suffering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis "while the world stands by", with vulnerable children not knowing where their next meal is coming from, a new report has found War-torn Sudan is 'staring into a humanitarian abyss' as millions of children increasingly face violence, extreme hunger and disease, a report has found. Sudan is currently in the midst of the world 's worst humanitarian crisis as a result of a civil war that broke out in 2023. It is having a direct effect on the UK with swathes of Sudanese and South Sudanese migrants now filling refugee camps in northern France in a bid to make perilous dinghy journeys across the Channel. In the year to March, some 9% of the 36,000 small boat arrivals were from Sudan, according to Home Office data. While Sudanese made up 21% - the highest number - of the 2,585 'recorded detections' in the UK, meaning those believed by authorities to have evaded border controls to enter the UK irregularly, up to 72 hours beforehand. The Mirror witnessed first hand the horrifying stories of Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees in a camp in Dunkirk, northern France, in April. Many young men felt they had no option but to flee their East African home for fear of being forced to join murderous militias. A report by international aid agency World Vision says some 24.6 million people - 51% of Sudan's population - faces 'crises level food insecurity or worse'. While 38% of its child population is experiencing severe hunger, and 52% moderate hunger, the Sudan Crises and Migration Emergency Response (SCRAMER) analysis found. UN Children's agency UNICEF has previously said that armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children as young as one. The impact on children has seen widespread displacement, trauma and school disruption. While desperation for food has resulted in harmful coping strategies, the SCRAMER report said, including child labour and family separation. The wide-ranging assessment, spanning six countries in East and Central Africa, reveals a deepening crises, with Sudan and South Sudan 'at the epicentre of an unfolding catastrophe', said World Vision. 'We are staring at a humanitarian abyss,' said Simon Mane, World Vision's SCRAMER Multi-Country Response Director. 'When half the population of a country is unsure of their next meal, and hundreds of thousands are in catastrophe levels of food insecurity, it is no longer a crisis - it is a collapse. "The world is standing by while millions of children are at risk of malnutrition and hunger. Many people don't even know about it because it rarely makes the headlines.' After a 2021 coup, a council of generals ran Sudan, led by the two military men at the centre of this dispute - Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces and in effect the country's president. And his deputy and leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as 'Hemedti'. But they disagreed on the direction the country was going in and the proposed move towards civilian rule, and war broke out between them. As well as sparking major displacement, both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes. The UN says the war has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crises. Cuts to US AID by Donald Trump in February had an immediate impact, sources said, with many aid groups struggling to provide the needs required. Organisations' ability to plan have also been hit by talk in Europe of international aid cuts, sources added. Sir Keir Starmer controversially cut the UK's foreign aid budget to fund defence spending, but Sudan has remained an aid priority, along with Gaza and Ukraine. Last week British filmmaker Steve McQueen, cookery legend Delia Smith and actor Will Poulter urged Starmer to take greater action to tackle the crisis. The trio are among celebs who have signed a letter to the PM calling for the government to help save lives in the war-torn African country. England footballer Lucy Bronze, Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt, chef Rick Stein and actress Dame Harriet Walter have also put their names to the call. The letter to Starmer says: 'Following over two years of violent conflict, Sudan is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with half of the country's population – a staggering 24.6 million people – already facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Together with a coalition of Sudanese civil-society and UK aid organisations, we are calling for rapid and scaled-up action from the UK Government to help save lives before it is too late. 'The conflict has had a horrifying impact on children's lives, with a staggering 16 million children now in dire need of support. These children have witnessed and been subject to brutal violence, have lost loved ones, have fled their homes and been forced to say goodbye to their schools and communities.' The letter, organised by charity Plan International UK, was handed in at Downing Street on Monday. In April, at a conference in London, Foreign Secretary David Lammy – who visited the border of Sudan earlier this year – announced an extra £120 million of support for the stricken country. But the letter urges the government to 'step up its efforts by… Announcing additional emergency funding for the Sudan crisis to help save lives, providing funding that has been promised so it reaches people who need it in the coming weeks, and urging other governments to scale-up their humanitarian efforts'.
