The United Nations Shows Understanding of the Situation in Sudan

Truth Unveiled

Ibrahim Shglawi

Yesterday, the special session on Sudan at the United Nations Security Council attracted significant attention from Sudanese citizens eager to learn the outcome. This session followed various and conflicting expectations regarding the issuance of harsh resolutions against Sudan amid escalating conflict. The conflict flared due to the failure of the Rapid Support Forces militia in its locally and regionally backed coup attempt to seize power in mid-April last year.

The Security Council session concluded with the withdrawal of a resolution under Chapter VII, led by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and some regional allies, which called for sending international forces to Sudan. This decision came before the session began, as both Russia and China threatened to use their veto power. Consequently, it was announced that the proposed resolution to send international forces would be postponed until October 2025—a timeframe that observers deem sufficient for changes in Sudan’s circumstances, potentially ending the war and restoring security and peace. This assessment is based on the extensive operations across combat zones and the effective siege on the militia, which has begun to yield results.

The speech by Sudan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Harith Idris, which received widespread attention and was broadcast across numerous local and regional TV channels, was clear in highlighting the violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces militia against civilians. Idris also noted that military support and fighters continue to flow to the militia from the African coast, and that the Adré border crossing has not adhered to the conditions set by the Sudanese government, turning it into a supply entry point for the militia. It is evident that Sudanese diplomacy, supported by meetings held by President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan at the recent UN General Assembly, along with understandings reached with several international and regional parties, has begun to yield positive outcomes.

It appears that the United Nations is now more understanding, or perhaps ethically compelled, to reassess the situation in Sudan. This shift was evident in statements made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who remarked that the conditions are unfavorable for deploying international forces and that more diplomatic efforts are preferable, with protective measures for civilians. He reiterated the Security Council’s commitment to civilian protection in the country and urged both parties to fulfill their obligations under the Jeddah Declaration. He also implicitly condemned the Rapid Support Forces’ attacks on civilians in the cities of El Fasher in Darfur and Al Jazeera.

Furthermore, European Union Foreign Policy Coordinator Josep Borrell has stepped in, calling for an end to massacres against civilians and accountability for perpetrators. He affirmed that efforts to achieve justice in Sudan will continue. Additionally, a visit by Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, was conducted to discuss establishing a logistical base to deliver humanitarian aid to Sudan.

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, also expressed her shock and dismay over the repeated human rights violations witnessed in Darfur last year, such as rape, direct assaults, sexual violence, and mass killings in Al Jazeera state. These statements condemning the Rapid Support Forces militia, along with this apparent positive attention toward Sudan, hint at a new perspective on the ongoing war and developments in Sudan, bolstering the notion that new convictions—and possibly understandings—are forming. The condemnation of the militia’s violations and the growing international solidarity with Sudan provide positive momentum for the country’s stance.

Thus, the truth underscores that a new stance seems to be forming toward Sudan, one that might signal a green light for ending the war and restoring security and peace for Sudanese people. As we know, peace and justice are the only path to building a genuinely safe and civil society. Therefore, we must all unite to protect human rights and confront all forms of abuse. We must also work on politically and media-wise isolating all militia supporters, especially those who have been given wide platforms to assert their claims of civilian protection and respect for human rights. Consequently, this stage does not tolerate gray positions toward the brutal violations that the militia has committed in the villages of Al Jazeera, Darfur, and Khartoum state through indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Wishing you well and health,

Shglawi55@gmail.com