Uniting for Sudan: A Year After the Outbreak of War, a Pivotal Conference in Paris

Monday 15 April 2024 - 10:50

In the wake of the devastating civil conflict that erupted in Sudan on April 15, 2023, a critical international conference is set to commence this Monday in Paris. The conference aims to rekindle global attention and galvanize support for what has become a "forgotten crisis." Co-chaired by Germany, the meeting will encompass a political track at the ministerial level to explore avenues for resolving the conflict, a humanitarian track to mobilize donations and facilitate the substantial delivery of aid to the war-torn country in the Horn of Africa, and a gathering of approximately forty Sudanese civil society representatives.

"The objective is to place the crisis back at the top of the agenda," stated Christophe Lemoine, the deputy spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The international community's focus has shifted more toward Gaza and Ukraine, leaving Sudan's plight largely neglected, as underscored by the Quai d'Orsay. However, this crisis is not solely humanitarian but also geopolitical. The risk of Sudan's fragmentation and the destabilization of the entire Horn of Africa region is of paramount importance."

The civil conflict, which erupted between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, has resulted in thousands of casualties and triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. According to Action Against Hunger, over 3.4 million people in Chad alone are in "urgent" need of humanitarian assistance due to the massive influx of refugees fleeing the Sudanese war.

"Civilians are enduring famine, widespread sexual violence, large-scale ethnic massacres, and executions. Yet, the world continues to avert its gaze," lamented Will Carter, the director of the Norway Refugee Council in Sudan. The conflict has forced approximately 1.8 million people to flee the country and has internally displaced at least 6.7 million individuals. With 25 million people, half of the country's population, in need of aid, Jean Stowell, the head of mission in Sudan for Médecins Sans Frontières, bemoans "an extremely concerning humanitarian void."

"In addition to deaths stemming from violence, we are witnessing children succumbing to malnutrition and lack of vaccinations, and women experiencing complications from perilous childbirths," enumerated Stowell in a statement. Last year, the UN's humanitarian appeal was only half-funded, and this year, a mere 5% of the requested 3.8 billion euros has been financed, highlighted the French Foreign Ministry. "We do not expect to meet these targets in Paris, but we remain hopeful that the international community will awaken."

The closed-door political meeting will convene ministers from Sudan's neighboring countries (Chad, Libya, Kenya, Djibouti, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia), Gulf nations (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia), and Western powers (United States, United Kingdom, Norway), as well as representatives from regional organizations such as the African Union, the Arab League, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The objective is "to adopt a declaration of principles and assess the various peace initiatives," specified the French Foreign Ministry. Simultaneously, approximately forty Sudanese civil society actors will gather at the Arab World Institute in the French capital.