The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has a bleak picture of the situation the Sudan draw. The parties to the civil war escalated the violence, foreign powers fueled the conflict, Guterres said Monday in the United Nations Security Council. The population is living through countless horrors from murders and “unspeakable horrors” including widespread rape to rapidly spreading diseases and mass ethnic violence.
Guterres said displaced people in North Darfur were facing “catastrophic food insecurity” and famine. In recent days there have been “appalling reports of massacres and sexual violence” in villages across the province Al-Dschasira given. According to the United Nations and a medical group, more than 120 people were killed in an attack that lasted several days by paramilitary fighters in Al-Jazeera state.
According to the Children’s Fund Unicef Several children are among the dead and injured. In last week’s attack, “at least 124 people were killed, including at least ten children, some as young as ten,” UNICEF director Catherine Russell said. At least 43 children were injured. “The violence against children and families in Al Jazeera’s state scares me,” Russell said.
Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between the military and the RSF paramilitary force escalated into open conflict in the capital, Khartoum. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, the war has cost more than 24,000 lives so far. More than eleven million people fled, including three million to neighboring countries.
The United Nations Secretary General warns of regional instability
Guterres said he was horrified by reports that the RSF continued to attack civilians in the capital of North Darfur and surrounding areas, including areas where displaced people were suffering from starvation. “I am also concerned by reports of attacks on civilians by forces affiliated with the Sudanese armed forces in Khartoum and the continuing massive civilian casualties due to apparently indiscriminate airstrikes in populated areas,” he said.
Guterres warned, through the Civil War could “ignite regional instability from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea.” He called on both sides to agree immediately on the cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and enabling humanitarian aid for millions of people in need. Anyone who violates international humanitarian law must be held accountable.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has expressed grave concerns over the deteriorating situation in Sudan, particularly due to escalating violence from warring factions and foreign intervention. He addressed the United Nations Security Council, highlighting the dire consequences faced by civilians, including murders, rampant sexual violence, diseases, and mass ethnic violence.
In North Darfur, displaced individuals are experiencing severe food insecurity and famine. Reports have emerged of horrific massacres and sexual violence occurring in the Al-Jazeera state, with a recent attack reportedly resulting in over 120 deaths, including children. UNICEF has also reported the tragic impact of the violence on children, confirming at least ten child fatalities in this latest incident, alongside numerous injuries. UNICEF Director Catherine Russell has voiced her deep concern over the violence affecting families and children in the region.