In armed conflicts, the blame game often takes center stage as no party wants to accept responsibility for initiating violence.
While each side points fingers, the power to end the conflict lies in their hands to be accountable and take decisive action to halt the untold suffering meted out to innocent people.
During a recent United Nations Security Council session, the Sudanese government leveled serious accusations against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alleging that the Gulf state is fueling the 14-month conflict in Sudan by arming a rival paramilitary group.
The UAE, however, vehemently denied these claims, labeling them as “ludicrous” and “a shameful abuse by one of the warring parties.”
This contentious exchange took place as Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee issued a grave warning about ethnic atrocities in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
She called for an immediate cease-fire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which is currently under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Pobee stressed the need to prevent further atrocities, safeguard critical infrastructure, and alleviate civilian suffering.
Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed accused the RSF of initiating the conflict with the Sudanese military and targeting civilians, allegedly with weapons supplied by the UAE.
He asserted that Sudan has evidence of these actions and plans to submit a file detailing the UAE’s involvement in the International Criminal Court.
In response, UAE’s Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab dismissed these allegations as “false” and questioned why the Sudanese government has not returned to peace talks.
Addressing the Sudanese Ambassador directly during the meeting, Abushahab urged the Sudanese government to “stop grandstanding in international fora such as this and instead take responsibility for ending the conflict you started.”
The dispute over the UAE’s alleged involvement is underscored by reports from UN experts who, in January, presented “credible” evidence that the UAE had supplied weapons to the RSF multiple times a week from northern Chad.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated a call for all external actors to cease supplying weapons to Sudan, emphasizing that such actions only prolong the conflict and contribute to the atrocities being committed.
Following the session, Sudan’s Ambassador Mohamed urged the Security Council to “name and shame the United Arab Emirates,” highlighting the need for accountability.
Edem Wosornu, operations director for the UN humanitarian office, painted a dire picture of the situation in El Fasher, where the lives of 800,000 civilians hang in the balance.
She echoed concerns about the risk of mass atrocities, pointing out that the violence in the city is just one part of a larger crisis.
Wosornu detailed the severe impact of the conflict on civilians, citing indiscriminate bombings, rampant sexual violence, and an impending famine.
She noted that nearly 5 million people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, with over 2 million at high risk of catastrophic hunger in the coming weeks.
Ongoing Conflict In Sudan
The current conflict in Sudan reignited in mid-April 2023, following longstanding tensions between the military and paramilitary leaders.
This discord erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and rapidly spread to other regions, including Darfur. The UN reports that more than 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured since the conflict began.
The RSF, which has its roots in the Janjaweed fighters of the early 2000s, was formed by former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
Al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades before being ousted in a 2019 uprising, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and other crimes committed during the Darfur conflict.
In a move to address the escalating violence, the Security Council recently passed a resolution demanding that the RSF end its siege of El Fasher — the last remaining Darfur capital not under its control.
The resolution also urged the RSF and the Sudanese military to cease hostilities and seek a peaceful resolution immediately.
READ ALSO: Hands-Off-our-Hotels Demo: Ablakwa Demands Immediate Halt of SSNIT Hotel Sale
