UN Calls for Peacekeeping Force in Sudan Amid Civil Conflict

UN Calls for International Peacekeeping Force in Sudan Amidst Ongoing Civil Conflict

A recent report from a United Nations fact-finding mission has highlighted the urgent need for an international peacekeeping force to protect civilians in Sudan, where a devastating civil war has resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis, leaving millions homeless and facing starvation. This conflict, which has persisted for 17 months, has seen horrific acts committed by both factions involved: the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries.

In their findings, the three-person mission detailed a range of atrocities, including killings, mutilations, and torture of civilians, with children being among the most vulnerable victims. Mohamed Chande Othman, the panel’s chairman and a former chief justice of Tanzania, emphasized the dire situation during a news conference on Friday, stating, “Given the failure of the warring parties to protect civilians, it is imperative that an independent and impartial force with a mandate to safeguard these individuals be deployed without delay.”

Sudan, a vast nation located on the northeastern coast of Africa along the Red Sea, faces not only internal turmoil but also risks destabilizing neighboring countries. The conflict has attracted international involvement, with the United Arab Emirates allegedly supplying weaponry to the RSF, despite official denials. Egypt, on the other hand, has been a longstanding supporter of the Sudanese army.

The report poignantly notes, “Fighting will cease only when the flow of arms is halted.” It cautioned that nations supplying weapons could be held complicit in international war crimes. In light of these findings, the panel has urged the U.N. Security Council to broaden an existing arms embargo that currently applies to the Darfur region in the west, advocating for its extension to encompass the entire country.