South African international relations and co-operation minister Ronald Lamola maintains conflicts in Sudan, the Sahel and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are “footnotes” while the media glare internationally is on Russia/Ukraine and Hamas/Israel.
Support for his statement, made during a keynote address to the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) conference in Sandton, on particularly Sudan, came from United Nations (UN) agencies OCHA (Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and IOM (International Organisation for Migration).
Lamola’s “footnote” comment was his way of saying not enough attention is being given to conflicts in Africa, SANews reported.
“We must take up our responsibility as Africans to help end these wars. We should work with external and international friends who act bona fide to end the war. Admittedly, this is not easy.
“The presence of unconventional participants on both sides, including mercenaries, foreign volunteers, Special Forces, and paramilitary squads, has made Africa a place for proxy wars,” he is reported as telling the conference.
He further told his audience South Africa was committed to the maintenance of international peace and security, promotion of human rights and sustainable development.
He is concerned it is now easier to fund wars than to support development, adding economic, financial and cyber warfare, as well as artificial intelligence, have been “weaponised” and used on a large scale.
Lamola told delegates the world was in a “grievous interregnum and transitioning to the new is that dangerous”.
“We are experiencing a proverbial crisis moment in world affairs, which could easily become a moment of calamity. In this dangerous geopolitical moment, the champions of the liberal international order generally refuse to accept any notions of decline and resist any attempt to emerge [with] an alternative, least of all one from the Global South.”
Meanwhile, he stressed that geopolitical rivalry over people’s suffering was serious.
“This is most evident in Sudan, where conflict has created a humanitarian catastrophe unlike any other.”
According to OCHA the first week of this month (October) saw 25 000 people flee Sudan for Chad – “the highest weekly influx this year”.
Since the conflict between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) began 18 months ago, estimates are that three million refugees exited seeking safety in, among others, the Central African Republic (CAR), Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda.
In Sudan, the IOM reports 40 000 people “newly displaced” in the first half of October. Total internal displacement has reportedly reached the eight million plus mark.
