In Sudan, 20 months of armed conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have left at least 20,000 people dead and half the country’s population, some 25 million people, in deep hunger. and are in need of urgent assistance. About humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, 14 million Sudanese have been forced to flee, and approximately 3.1 million have taken refuge outside the country, mainly in Chad, South Sudan, Uganda and Egypt.
As is often the case, children bear the brunt of this brutal war.
The medical group Médecins Sans Frontières, known by its French initials MSF, said that between January and September 2024, the Bashya Teaching Hospital in southern Khartoum suffered war-related injuries including gunfire, shrapnel and blast injuries. Approximately one in six patients with injuries received treatment. He was under 15 years old.
A medical team recently revealed that they treated 18-month-old baby Riyad, who was hit by a stray bullet while taking a nap at his parents’ home. They said they managed to stabilize him but were unable to remove the bullet from his chest. Like thousands of war-wounded, traumatized, and orphaned children across the country, Riyadh’s future remains uncertain as the conflict continues and access to health care is limited. remains uncertain.
Sexual violence is also widespread in the conflict in Sudan. A report released in October by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in Sudan found that forces commanded by both the RSF and the SAF have committed rape and other acts of sexual and gender-based violence. The report accuses both sides of using rape as a weapon of war, but the RSF is behind the “vast majority” of documented incidents, including “gang rapes and the abduction and detention of victims.” He said he was responsible for “massive sexual violence.” The situation is equivalent to sex slavery. ”
As the conflict continues, victims of rape and other sexual violence struggle to access treatment, necessary medicines, and psychological support services.
Many people are injured, traumatized and homeless.
Sudan’s conflict represents the worst in humanity, as war crimes and other atrocities are routinely committed with impunity against men, women and even children.
As Sudanese people prepare to enter a new year hungry, hurt, and afraid, the international community, especially African institutions that are said to be committed to ensuring peace and stability in the region, They have a responsibility to take meaningful action, including direct intervention.
So far, all efforts to end the suffering of Sudanese people through mediation between the parties to the conflict have been in vain.
Peace efforts led by the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United States, Egypt, and Switzerland all ensure a sustainable ceasefire, comprehensive peace agreements, and meaningful protections for civilians. It has failed in many ways.
In May 2023, just one month after the start of the civil war, the two opposing sides in Saudi Arabia appeared to have reached a pivotal agreement. They signed the Jeddah Declaration, which protects Sudanese civilians and agreed to “always distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military targets.” As part of the agreement, both countries will “refrain from any attacks that could be expected to cause incidental harm to civilians” and “protect all public and private facilities, including hospitals and water and electrical facilities.” also promised.
The agreement was supposed to result in a ceasefire for at least a week, but ultimately even 48 hours did not stop the brutal fighting against civilians, let alone the relentless fighting between the SAF and RSF. .
No progress has been made in peace efforts to end the genocide in Sudan since this US- and Saudi-led effort failed some 19 months ago. Talks convened by the United States in Switzerland in August to end the war made some progress on aid access, but again failed to secure a ceasefire.
Efforts to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table and appeal to their humanity to demand an end to attacks on civilians are clearly not working.
More needs to be done.
In a damning report based on testimony from the ground, a UN fact-finding mission reveals what the country needs: an international peacekeeping force sent to protect civilians. I made it.
“Given the failure of the parties to the conflict to rescue civilians, it is imperative that an independent and impartial force tasked with protecting civilians be deployed without delay,” said Chande, head of the UN mission.・Mr. Osman stated in September.
Unfortunately, the Sudanese government rejected this request, just as it rejected IGAD’s similar request for a regional peacekeeping force in July 2023. October 2021 Coup – Sovereignty that frames any potential external intervention as a violation of the state, including peacekeeping missions focused solely on the protection of civilians.
If the Sudanese government can protect civilians, it would be understandable to reject outside intervention. However, after 20 months of devastating war in disregard of international humanitarian law, no party to the war has been able to provide safety, security, or dignity to beleaguered Sudanese civilians; It is clear that they are not sufficiently concerned about this.
Without the deployment of a regional peacekeeping mission supported by the international community, one committed and clearly mandated to immediately end persistent attacks on civilians, the suffering of Sudanese civilians is likely to continue in the near future. It will never end.
Today, the international community, and the AU in particular, faces a simple choice. Either remain passive as the death toll in Sudan continues to rise, or take meaningful and decisive steps to address the crisis, even if it upsets the Sudanese government.
Local organizations will lose any legitimacy if they choose to sit back and watch innocent lives being lost to senseless violence in endless wars.
Therefore, the time has come for the AU to intervene in the Sudanese war to protect civilians.
This does not violate the sovereignty of the Sudanese state, nor does it constitute overreach on the part of the coalition.
According to Article 4(h) of the African Union Constitution, which was assented to by Sudan in July 2000, the AU “has the right to intervene in Member States pursuant to a decision of Parliament in serious situations, namely: war crimes, genocide; , and crimes against humanity.”
The situation in Sudan is undoubtedly “serious” given the overwhelming number of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law that have been documented in detail by UN missions and others. There is no doubt that the people of Sudan would benefit greatly from the physical protection of international peacekeepers.
Sudan’s vast territory and widespread nature of war will pose significant challenges in ensuring the safety of millions of civilians, but this challenge is not out of reach. By implementing effective plans and mobilizing adequate numbers of troops, the AU can have a significant impact.
Sudan presents a clear test of the AU’s ability to carry out and sustain its broad mandate.
If we are to realize our vision of a united, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its people and representing a dynamic force on the world stage, we cannot continue to let the Sudanese people down.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
