Escalating Conflict in Sudan: A Call for International Intervention
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to the tragic loss of tens of thousands of civilian lives and displaced over 10 million people, as reported by the German News Agency. The war, which has persisted for 17 months between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), poses a significant risk of dividing the nation into rival factions, further deepening the humanitarian crisis.
British researcher Rosalind Marsden from the Royal Institute of International Affairs highlights the urgent need for coordinated international pressure to prevent Sudan's disintegration. Efforts for peace talks, including recent mediation attempts by the U.S. in mid-August, have largely stalled. These discussions aimed to achieve a nationwide cessation of hostilities and improve humanitarian access, yet both sides remain entrenched in their military pursuits.
Despite some limited progress in humanitarian access to Darfur, the situation continues to deteriorate. The Sudanese military's refusal to engage constructively in negotiations and its increased aerial bombardments have exacerbated the conflict. The RSF, on the other hand, is leveraging its position to gain regional advantages, presenting itself positively in international forums.
With the conflict escalating, Marsden stresses the necessity of heightened international pressure on countries providing military and financial support to the warring factions. The recent renewal of UN Security Council sanctions on Darfur is seen as insufficient, as there is a pressing need to expand these measures to encompass all of Sudan, given the ongoing violence and acquisition of new weapons by both parties.
Marsden warns that without significant intervention, Sudan risks partitioning under rival governments, with the potential for further disintegration. She emphasizes the importance of uniting pro-democracy civilians on an anti-war platform to reshape future peacebuilding efforts and calls for international support to empower civilian voices in the diplomatic process, steering the country towards a democratic transition.
