THE United Nations political chief accused allies of Sudan's warring military and paramilitary forces of “enabling the slaughter” that has killed more than 24,000 people and created the world's worst displacement crisis.
Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s under-secretary general for political and peacebuilding affairs, told the Security Council on Tuesday: “This is unconscionable. It is illegal, and it must end.”
She didn't name the countries funding and providing weapons to Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but she said they have a responsibility to press both sides to work for a negotiated settlement of the war.
Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when fighting broke out into civil war between its military and paramilitary leaders.
The UN recently warned that the north east African country has been pushed to the brink of famine.
Last month, the RSF rampaged through the province of Gezira, attacking towns and villages, killing dozens of people and raping women and girls, according to the UN and local groups.
Ms DiCarlo said the UN is “appalled by the attacks against civilians perpetrated by forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces in the Khartoum area.”
Ramesh Rajasingham, co-ordination director in the UN humanitarian office, told the council the "shocking atrocities" in Gezira and fighting in West Darfur and North Darfur are causing more people to flee.
Since April 2023, more than 11 million people have fled their homes, with 3 million crossing into neighbouring countries, he said. Last month, 58,000 people from the two Darfur states crossed into neighbouring Chad, which is now hosting more than 710,000 refugees, he said.
Mr Rajasingham warned that “we are now seeing troubling indications that deepening food insecurity is spreading to other areas, with reports in recent weeks of particularly alarming levels of hunger in South Kordofan.”
He added: “I just cannot put strongly enough how serious this situation is.”
Mr Rajasingham called for urgent action by the international community.
