Sudan’s government intensifying efforts to support civilian dialogue: UN

Adel Abdelrheem and Mohammad Sio

Sudan’s government is stepping up efforts to support civilian dialogue in the country, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary Dicarlo said Monday.

Dicarlo made the remarks during a briefing to the UN Security Council in New York on the situation in Sudan.

“Thirteen million people have fled their homes, including around 8.7 million who are displaced internally across all 18 states,” she said, referring to a country with an estimated population of around 50 million.

Dicarlo said there were “around 1,400 civilian deaths from January to June this year, including 1,100 people killed by drone strikes.”

Fighting in Sudan in recent weeks “has been characterized by the heavy use of drones and localized ground combat in areas less affected by rainy season conditions,” she said.

Dicarlo said fighting near Sudan’s border with Ethiopia in Blue Nile state “is also a serious cause for concern.”

“The sophisticated weaponry used continues to point to ongoing external support to both parties,” she added.

She noted that Sudanese authorities “have also stepped up their own efforts to support civilian dialogue” and welcomed “all efforts to foster meaningful political discussions regarding Sudan’s future.”

Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said during an address on Aug. 14 that a group of Sudanese citizens had proposed an independent national mechanism to prepare for an inclusive dialogue led from within the country and involving political and community forces.

Burhan said the group had asked the government to provide guarantees for the dialogue and participation by its various parties. He said he had agreed to provide logistical support as well as legal, political and security guarantees.

He stressed at the time that the government will not organize the dialogue or determine its agenda or outcomes.

UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, meanwhile, told the Security Council that “more than two-thirds of the people of Sudan are in desperate need of lifesaving support.”

“The people of Sudan need food, water and medicine. Yet the world sends drones, weapons and mercenaries,” Fletcher said.

“The people of Sudan need sustained, courageous diplomacy. Yet the world is too often indifferent and distracted,” he added.

Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.