UN Guterres blames Sudanese generals, their backers for the country’s crisis
November 29, 2023 (NEW YORK) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has squarely placed the blame for the ongoing crisis in Sudan and the suffering of its civilian population on the country’s warring military leaders and their international supporters.
Addressing the media at the end of the 7th African Union-United Nations Annual Conference in New York on November 28, 2023, Guterres, alongside African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, responded to a journalist’s question about the failure of the AU and UN to halt the conflict and the atrocities against civilians in Sudan.
The UN chief pointed the finger directly at two Sudanese generals – Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Commander in Chief of the Sudanese army and his rival Mohamed Hadan Daglo RSF leader -, accusing them of disregarding the interests of their people and instead engaging in a power struggle that has resulted in massacres akin to “the one of the Masalit” in West Darfur.
Guterres further highlighted the Sudanese generals’ obstruction of AU-brokered efforts to achieve a democratic transition and their subsequent overthrow of the civilian government, opting instead to pursue their own power ambitions.
“After that, they fight each other and probably with the support in money and weapons by some others and then people say it’s the fault of the African Union or the United Nations,” Guterres emphasized.
In a stark rebuke of the generals and their foreign backers, Guterres declared, “I think it’s time to call a spade a spade. This is the fault of those that sacrificed the interests of their people for a pure struggle for power, and they’re the ones that support them based on considerations that I would not like to comment on today.”
This marks the first public statement by an international official condemning the involvement of external actors in the Sudanese conflict, which has displaced millions of Sudanese citizens and resulted in war crimes and grave human rights violations.
Notably, on November 22, the US State Department disclosed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had discussed the situation in Sudan with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two ministers reportedly affirmed their “shared commitment to building a more secure and prosperous region.”
A Sudanese army general and member of the Sovereign Council on November 27 accused the UAE and Chad of supplying the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces with weapons and ammunition.
These accusations follow several international media reports alleging the involvement of the two countries in the Sudanese conflict.
AU Commission Chairperson Faki, while acknowledging the need to address accountability, emphasized that immediate efforts are focused on achieving a ceasefire in Sudan. “After that, obviously, there will be investigations, inquiries, there will be responsibilities drawn up,” he added.
Expressing optimism regarding the Jeddah process for a ceasefire agreement, Faki stated, “I hope, and I have been told that things are moving forward. We might see a ceasefire immediately.”
(ST)