Sudan’s Khartoum emergency rooms reject politicization in conflict
May 17, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Emergency rooms in Sudan’s Khartoum state said on Saturday they rejected attempts to draw them into the country’s political and military conflict.
The stance came after the Sudanese Founding Coalition “Tasis” criticised the Khartoum state government’s decision to prohibit humanitarian activity that did not follow legal procedures. The coalition had said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had protected the emergency rooms.
In a statement, the Khartoum state emergency rooms said they “reject this type of cheap political manoeuvring.” “We also consider the claims of RSF protection an insult to the bloodshed during their control of Khartoum and the violations committed by these forces against volunteers and citizens,” added the statement, extended to Sudan Tribune.
The emergency rooms emphasised they were an independent organisation “with no ties to any military faction or alliance and belong to no entity other than humanitarian work.” They demanded that all parties avoid dragging them into political or military conflict.
The statement declared a “categorical rejection” of attempts to politicize humanitarian work or use it to promote parties in the conflict, warning such behaviour threatened volunteer safety.
The emergency rooms said they operate more than 800 soup kitchens in Khartoum state, along with health, water, and psychosocial support services, independent of any political orientation or external agenda.
They receive significant international support for providing food and health services to vulnerable groups in conflict zones and for documenting violations, the statement said.
The emergency rooms also said they were monitoring attempts by political and military entities to exploit them through “misleading statements or by implying alleged support or affiliation.”
These attempts were described in the statement as “cheap political manoeuvres” that “exploit (the suffering of Sudanese people) as a tool in the struggle for power” rather than reflecting genuine concern.
Established by volunteers after conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, the emergency rooms have provided food to millions of Sudanese despite funding shortages, obstacles, and violations against their members, which they said included killings.