Sudan: Closed Consultations
This afternoon (5 September), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations on Sudan, at the request of the UK (the penholder on the file). Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Edem Wosornu is expected to brief. Council members may issue press elements following the meeting.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, has triggered a devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, marked by significant civilian casualties, mass displacement, severe food and water shortages, and the collapse of healthcare and essential services. The war has displaced approximately 10.4 million people, 2.2 million of whom have sought refuge in Sudan’s neighbouring countries—the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda—making it the world’s largest displacement crisis. At the same time, around 25.6 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity, with 14 areas in nine states identified at risk of famine. On 1 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) confirmed that famine conditions are present in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) located near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. (For background, see our 28 July and 5 August What’s in Blue stories.)
At today’s meeting, the US and Switzerland are likely to provide a readout of the talks led by the US in Switzerland, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, with the African Union (AU), Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the UN participating as observers. The talks focussed on issues pertaining to humanitarian access, the protection of civilians, and a cessation of hostilities. Although the RSF agreed to participate in the meeting, the SAF refused to send a delegation to Switzerland. (For more information, see the brief on Sudan in our September 2024 Monthly Forecast.)
Despite the SAF’s absence, the talks in Switzerland commenced on 14 August using a hybrid negotiating model that combined in-person, proximity, and virtual modes to engage both parties. On 15 August, the Sudanese government announced its decision to authorise the opening of the Adre crossing at the Chad-Sudan border for three months for cross-border humanitarian operations. (Sudan suspended cross-border aid delivery through the Adre crossing on 21 February, citing concerns about potential weapons transfers into Darfur by the RSF.) In a 16 August statement, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami welcomed Sudan’s decision to open the Adre crossing, noting that it remained the “most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance to Sudan at the scale and speed required, especially to Darfur”.
At the end of the talks in Switzerland on 23 August, the mediators—collectively called the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group—adopted a communiqué. The ALPS group obtained guarantees from the warring parties to provide safe and unhindered humanitarian access through the Adre border crossing, as well as along the Dabbah Road, with access through the north and west of Port Sudan. The communiqué indicated that deliberations continued toward opening an access route through Sennar state, noting that the UN is undertaking a feasibility study for routes across the country that can enable aid access. It urged both parties to issue command directives to all fighters throughout their ranks to refrain from violations—including violence against women and children, and the use of starvation or checkpoints for exploitation—and acknowledged the RSF’s commitments in this regard. It further noted that the ALPS group presented proposals to the warring parties for a compliance mechanism to resolve disputes, receive complaints, and address problems arising in relation to implementation of protection of civilians commitments. The communiqué expressed regret at the SAF’s decision not to join the talks in Switzerland, which it said limited the group’s ability to make substantial progress on key issues, such as a cessation of hostilities.
At today’s meeting, several Council members are expected to underline the critical need for the continuous, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance through all modalities. Wosornu and some members are likely to condemn the persistent violence and reiterate their call on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and re-commit to negotiations. Some members are likely to stress the need for accountability and justice for victims of violence and call on the parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Today’s meeting may also provide an opportunity for Council members to discuss the way forward and explore how to streamline and coordinate various peace efforts. As well, they might wish to discuss the commitments made by the warring parties and assess the potential for them to be translated into concrete actions on the ground.
Wosornu is expected to describe the spiralling humanitarian situation and provide an update on the efforts by the UN and partner agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance across the country, including through recently opened humanitarian access routes. According to a 31 August OCHA flash update, between 20 and 30 August, 59 aid trucks carrying medical, food, nutrition, emergency shelter and essential household supplies entered Darfur from Chad through the Adre border crossing. These supplies are expected to reach approximately 195,000 people in acute need in various parts of the country. Additionally, around 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people were being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming weeks. In a 29 August press briefing, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric reported that trucks carrying about 1,134 metric tonnes of food also crossed into Darfur through the Tine border crossing on 22 and 23 August.
Wosornu may brief Council members about the recent visit of Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed to Port Sudan and Chad, on 29 and 30 August respectively. During her visit, she was accompanied by Nkweta-Salami, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra, and senior officials from the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and UNICEF. In Port Sudan, Mohammed met with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the SAF and chairperson of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, several Sudanese officials, and the UN country team. Among other things, the aim of the visit was to discuss ways of improving aid delivery and to address procedures for cross-border operations through the Adre border crossing. Mohammed also travelled to Chad, where she met with Chadian authorities, refugees and representatives of the host communities. Council members might be interested in learning more about Mohammed’s engagement with the Sudanese authorities and efforts to open additional humanitarian access routes.
Today, Wosornu and several members might underline the need for enhanced funding to support the humanitarian response in Sudan, including famine prevention and response operations. They may also call on donors to quickly disburse funding from the commitments they have made. At the time of writing, Sudan’s 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, requiring $2.70 billion, was 41.3 percent funded.
Wosornu may also highlight how heavy rains and flooding have exacerbated the humanitarian situation and hindered the delivery of aid. The 1 September OCHA update said that since June, torrential rains have severely disrupted communities, resulting in displacement, damaging infrastructure, impairing road access, and heightening the risk of diseases. According to the update, around 442,600 people across 13 states have been affected, with at least 124,600 people displaced. Three major bridges in Darfur have also been damaged, limiting the movement of humanitarian actors. Furthermore, compounding the situation Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health on 12 August declared an outbreak of cholera. OCHA reported that 2,895 cases of cholera, including 112 deaths attributed to the disease, were documented across the country between 22 July and 1 September. (For more information, see our 28 July and 5 August What’s in Blue stories.)
