The Security Council Considers Action on the War in Sudan

Follow-up – Moatinoon
Source: mc-doualiya.com
The United Nations Security Council is discussing a draft resolution, drafted by Britain, calling on both sides of the conflict in Sudan to cease hostilities and to allow safe, rapid, and unhindered delivery of aid across confrontation lines and borders.

At the start of November, as the UK assumed the presidency of the Security Council, British Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward told reporters, “Nineteen months after the war began, both sides are committing blatant human rights violations, including widespread rape of women and girls.”

She added, “More than half of Sudans population suffers from severe food insecurity. Yet, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remain focused on fighting each other, rather than addressing the famine and suffering facing their country.”

Diplomats stated that the UK aims to put the resolution to a vote as soon as possible. The resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no veto from the United States, France, Britain, Russia, or China.

The British draft resolution demands that “the RSF halt its attacks immediately” across Sudan and “calls on both warring parties to cease hostilities immediately.”

The resolution also urges both sides to “allow and facilitate full, safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access across frontlines and borders within Sudan and throughout the country.”

It also calls for keeping the Adré border crossing with Chad open for aid deliveries, “and emphasizes the need to support unhindered humanitarian access through all border crossings, given the ongoing humanitarian needs.”

The three-month approval granted by Sudanese authorities to the UN and aid organizations to use the Adré border crossing to access Darfur is set to expire in mid-November.

The Security Council has previously passed two resolutions on Sudan: the first in March, which called for an immediate cessation of hostilities during Ramadan, and the second in June, specifically demanding an end to the RSF siege of El Fasher, a city with 1.8 million residents in North Darfur.

Both resolutions, supported by 14 countries with Russia abstaining, called for full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access.

In the first sanctions imposed by the UN during the current conflict, a Security Council committee announced sanctions on two RSF leaders this week.