The Sudan war is being looked at by the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is talking about a proposal written by the UK that asks both sides in the war in Sudan to stop fighting and let aid get across front lines and borders quickly, safely, and without any problems.

In April 2023, a power battle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led to war. This happened just before a planned change to civilian rule, and it caused the biggest migration crisis in the history of the world.

It has led to waves of violence based on race, which is mostly blamed on the RSF. The RSF has said that they are not hurting residents in Sudan and that the actions were done by bad people. A Security Council committee named two RSF generals last week as targets of the first U.N. sanctions during this war.

“Nineteen months into the war, both sides are committing egregious human rights violations, including the widespread rape of women and girls,” Barbara Woodward, Britain’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters at the beginning of this month, when Britain took over as president of the Security Council for November.

“More than half the Sudanese population are experiencing severe food insecurity,” she noted. “Despite this, the SAF and the RSF remain focused on fighting each other and not the famine and suffering facing their country.”

Lawyers for Britain said the country wants to vote on the draft resolution as soon as possible. A motion must get at least nine votes in favor and not be blocked by the United States, France, Britain, Russia, or China in order to be passed.

HELP ACROSS LINES

Around half of Sudan’s people, or 25 million people, need help because of famine in camps for refugees, and 11 million people have already left their homes. Almost 3 million of them have left for other countries.

In Britain’s written text, it says that the Rapid Support Forces must stop their offensives right away all over Sudan, and that all sides must stop fighting right away.

Also, it “calls on the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the full, safe, rapid, and unhindered crossline and cross-border humanitarian access into and throughout Sudan.”

The draft also says that the Adre border crossing with Chad should stay open so that aid can be sent there. It also says, “Humanitarian access must be maintained through all border crossings as long as humanitarian needs persist and there are no obstacles.”

Government of Sudan gave permission for three months for the UN and aid groups to use the Adre border crossing to get to Darfur. This permission will run out in the middle of November.

The Security Council has already passed two resolutions on Sudan. In March, it called for an instant end to hostilities during the holy month of Ramadan. In June, it specifically asked the RSF to stop their siege of a city of 1.8 million people in Sudan’s North Darfur region.

The motions, which were passed with 14 votes in favor and one abstention from Russia, also called for full, quick, safe, and unrestricted humanitarian access.