NEW YORK: Two years since the outbreak of Sudan’s brutal war between rival generals who rejected the peaceful transition to civilian rule after the overthrow of President Omar Al-Bashir, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that the world “must not forget” the suffering of the country’s people.
And amid spiraling violence and the massacre of civilians linked to advancing opposition forces in the Darfurs at the weekend, the UN chief called for an end to outside interference in Sudan that could lead to it breaking up into Government and opposition-held regions.
“I am deeply concerned that weapons and fighters continue to flow into Sudan, allowing the conflict to persist and spread across the country,” the Secretary-General said.
“The external support and flow of weapons must end. Those with greatest influence on the parties must use it to better the lives of people in Sudan – not to perpetuate this disaster.”
The Sudanese government accuses the United Arab Emirates of fueling the war in the African country by providing weapons to a rival paramilitary force. The UAE has vehemently dismissed these allegations.
Behind Tuesday’s grim two-year anniversary is the largest displacement crisis in the world – and the worst humanitarian crisis – UN agencies say.
Basic infrastructure in the capital, Khartoum, has been devastated by fighting and aid teams have warned that help is needed urgently to support the estimated three million people who are expected to return there.
“The situation in Khartoum is extremely dire, especially in the areas where the conflict has been intense,” said Luca Renda, UN Development Programme (UNDP) representative for Sudan, following the city’s recent recapture by Sudanese Armed Forces.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva after an assessment mission to the capital, he reported seeing “massive destruction of infrastructure, no access to water, no electricity and of course a lot of contamination of unexploded ordnance”.
