French advocacy group urges world powers to act on Sudan ‘catastrophe’

June 10, 2025 (PARIS) – A French advocacy group on Tuesday called on the United Nations and major world powers to take immediate action to stop the war in Sudan, saying in a letter that political will is all that is needed to halt what the U.N. has called the world’s worst displacement crisis.

The letter from Dr. Jacky Mamou, president of the Collectif Urgence Darfour, was addressed to leaders of the permanent U.N. Security Council member states and the U.N. Secretary-General. It urges them to impose a ceasefire and an arms embargo, allowing humanitarian aid to reach millions of people.

“You have the means to put an end to this disaster,” Mamou wrote. “At the very least, let the horrors pause so that food aid and medical care can be distributed. Now!”

The conflict between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has devastated the country for more than two years.

The letter stated that the war has killed 150,000 people, displaced 13 million, and left 14 million facing hunger.  The U.N. says tens of thousands have been killed.

U.N. agencies report that over 11.5 million people are internally displaced and nearly 25 million require urgent humanitarian assistance.

“Don’t say you tried and didn’t succeed because of the stubbornness and indifference of the two military leaders,” the letter said, calling for sanctions on countries that violate any imposed arms embargo.

The appeal highlighted a cholera epidemic in Khartoum and severe humanitarian emergencies in the White Nile, North Kordofan, and Darfur regions, particularly in the city of El Fasher and the Zamzam camp for displaced people.

The letter was addressed to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the leaders of the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.