The war in Sudan, dubbed by some the one the world forgot, this week marked the second year of ongoing hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the opposition Rapid Support Forces (RSF),
Events in the east African country led to what are currently the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises. This, a European Union (EU) statement has it, includes widespread conflict related sexual violence, ethnically motivated attacks and reprisal killings.
The European bloc aligned itself with the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) to “unequivocally denounce the ongoing conflict, atrocities and grave human rights violations and abuses in Sudan” as the world marked two years since the devastating war started.
The statement has it further: “We strongly condemn the RSF attacks carried out in and around El Fasher on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk IDP camps, which caused numerous casualties, including humanitarian workers. Civilians must be protected and allowed safe passage”.
“As famine continues to spread across Sudan, G7 members are disturbed by reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and reiterate that such actions are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
“We call on the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, which include the crucial responsibility to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military targets.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to lift impediments to effective cross-line humanitarian assistance, provide assurances of safety and security for local and international humanitarian actors, and allow humanitarian access through all border crossings into Sudan, including through South Sudan and Chad. We recognise the important role of emergency response rooms in providing for and protecting civilians and call for their protection. We further call on all parties to refrain from attacks on critical infrastructure that civilians rely upon, including dams and telecommunications systems.
“We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and urge both the SAF and the RSF to engage meaningfully in serious, constructive negotiations. All external actors must cease any support that further fuels the conflict, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles adopted at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries in Paris in 2024 and the United Nations arms embargo on Darfur. We condemn all violations and unlawful attacks by the SAF, the RSF, and their allied militias.”
