UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press encounter to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 15, 2024. Guterres on Monday called for a global push for a cease-fire in Sudan, one year into the military conflict between two military factions. (Xinhua/Xie E)
UNITED NATIONS, April 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for a global push for a cease-fire in Sudan, one year into the military conflict between two military factions.
"The only path out of this horror is a political solution. At this critical moment, in addition to global support for aid, we need a concerted global push for a cease-fire in Sudan followed by a comprehensive peace process," he told a press encounter to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Coordinated international efforts will be essential to amplify joint action. This push for peace also means continuing work on Sudan's democratic transition, by supporting and empowering civilians, including women's rights groups, young people and others, he said.
"I will not relent in my calls for all parties to silence the guns, and meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful and secure future," said Guterres.
What is happening is more than a conflict between two warring parties. It is a war being waged on the Sudanese people. It is a war on the many thousands of civilians who have been killed, and tens of thousands maimed.
It is a war on the 18 million people facing acute hunger, and the communities now staring down the terrifying threat of famine in the months ahead. It is a war on villages, homes, hospitals, schools and vital systems that have been reduced to rubble in conflict hotspots. And it is a war on human rights and international humanitarian law, he said.
Indiscriminate attacks that are killing, injuring and terrorizing civilians could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Aid convoys have been targeted. Humanitarian personnel and warehouses have been attacked. Women and girls are subject to rampant sexual violence, he said.
Meanwhile, the impact of the conflict is spilling across borders. Over 8 million people have fled their homes in search of safety -- 1.8 million to neighboring countries. Some 25 million people -- half of Sudan's population -- need lifesaving assistance, he added.
The latest reports of escalating hostilities in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, are a fresh cause for deep alarm, warned Guterres.
Over the weekend, RSF-affiliated militias attacked and burnt villages west of the city, leading to widespread new displacement and fears of a takeover of El Fasher's only water source nearby, he said.
"Let me be clear. Any attack on El Fasher would be devastating for civilians and could lead to full-blown intercommunal conflict across Darfur. It would also upend aid operations in an area already on the brink of famine since El Fasher has always been a critical UN humanitarian hub," he said.
The Sudanese people desperately need the support and generosity of the international community to help them through this nightmare. While a high-level pledging event for the Sudan crisis is being held in Paris, the humanitarian response plan for Sudan worth 2.7 billion U.S. dollars was only 6 percent funded before the conference. And the 1.4-billion-dollar regional refugee response plan for the Sudan crisis was only 7 percent funded, he said. ■
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press encounter to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 15, 2024. Guterres on Monday called for a global push for a cease-fire in Sudan, one year into the military conflict between two military factions. (Xinhua/Xie E)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium) speaks at a press encounter to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 15, 2024. Guterres on Monday called for a global push for a cease-fire in Sudan, one year into the military conflict between two military factions. (Xinhua/Xie E)
