Sudan: UN calls for ceasefire during Ramadan amid “specter of famine”

The head of the United Nations (UN) called on Thursday March 7 at the Security Council for the establishment of a ceasefire in Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan.

Antonio Guterres called on generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and Mohammed Hamdan Dogolo, known as Hemedti, to put down their weapons after nearly 11 months.

The conflict has left thousands dead, created one of the largest population displacements in history with 8 million Sudanese affected, and plunged the country into a humanitarian catastrophe: half of the population needs assistance. vital.

Supporters of the Sudanese Armed Popular Resistance, which supports the army, ride on trucks in Gedaref, eastern Sudan, March 3, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between the army and paramilitary forces Sudan.

© AFP

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With our correspondent in New York,

Carrie Nooten

UN Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres

called for honoring the values ​​of Ramadan and demanded from rival forces in Sudan a ceasefire for the duration of the Muslim holiday, which is expected on the 10th or March 11.

This while

the “ 

specter of famine looms

 ” over the entire country

.

The

UN chief reiterated his fears

that the Sudanese conflict could destabilize the entire region – from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa via the Red Sea.

And he said he was “ 

alarmed 

” by developments which risk “ 

fragmenting the country even more deeply, exacerbating intra- and inter-community tensions and aggravating ethnic violence

 ”.

The UN Security Council has heard this and a draft resolution to this effect is under discussion, sponsored by the United Kingdom.

This could be voted on as early as this Friday, March 8, even if the Russian and Chinese representatives were more circumspect.

The Sudanese ambassador relayed live an ambiguous message from General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane who, on the one hand, politely welcomed the secretary general's call, but on the other, does not think it is pragmatically feasible, given the ongoing clashes on the ground.

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  • Sudan

  • Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

  • UN

  • Antonio Guterres

  • Humanitarian