Sudan’s Civilians Await Guterres: Hope or more empty promises?

Yasir Arman

Tomorrow, Monday, 28th October, 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, is scheduled to address the Security Council, focusing on the issues of the war in Sudan, particularly the humanitarian situation and the protection of civilians. To lower expectations, leaks attributed to his office have emerged, indicating that the situation is not conducive to deploying international forces to protect civilians. This is not surprising given that the warring parties have yet to reach a ceasefire agreement accompanied by a peacekeeping mission. However, it remains unacceptable for regional and international organizations, especially the Security Council, to allow the continuation of war crimes committed by both parties against civilians, spanning from El Fasher to Tamboul. It is expected that the war will spread to ten cities and areas in the coming weeks, exacerbating what is already the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan and potentially leading to the displacement of between 10 to 15 million new IDPs.

Will the Secretary-General’s report be the same as his previous one, with only a few sentences, phrases, and numbers altered? In the absence of Chapter VII, could the Secretary-General demand the implementation of other binding provisions that would contribute to pressure for ending the war and the crimes against civilians, urging the Council to take new steps, including:

1. A joint meeting between the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, inviting both parties to attend. This will not be the first time as the Security Council previously held a meeting in Nairobi, addressed by the late Dr. John Garang and Ali Osman, to push for a peace agreement in Naivasha. Once again, the Security Council visited Khartoum with all its members to advance the implementation of the Naivasha Peace Agreement.
2. The implementation of economic and diplomatic sanctions.
3. Targeted smart sanctions.
4. Elevating mediation efforts and closely coordinating between the African Union, neighbouring countries, and the Jeddah platform.
5. Strengthening measures to protect civilians in the absence of a military mission.
6. Calling for a temporary cessation of hostilities for a month, for example, to allow aid delivery and ensure freedom of movement for civilians.
7. Conditional humanitarian aid tied to the protection of civilians.

All of this falls within the provisions and powers of the Security Council, ensuring that the Secretary-General’s address is not merely an occasion for condemnation and denunciation but rather a call to utilize the measures available to the Security Council outside of Chapter VII.

As Sudanese, especially those in political and civil forces abroad, it is our duty to launch a high-profile campaign with delegations, memoranda, and media efforts to urge the regional and international communities to give greater attention to the humanitarian disaster and the protection of Sudanese civilians.

“No one can scratch your back like the masses can, and the revolution is more enduring than the war.”