Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has waged an “invasion without parallel in the history of mankind” and has been committing crimes of ‘‘genocide’’ with the help of foreign mercenaries.
‘‘Sudan has bled. Our villages and cities have fallen silent under the shadow of unprecedented war... Our children have known fear before they have known the meaning of life,” PM Idris said in his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
The prime minister, who led a high-level Sudanese delegation that included Foreign Minister Ambassador Mohy-Eddin Salim and other key ministers, advisors, and diplomats to the UNGA, highlighted RSF’s ‘‘grave’’ human rights violations.
Idris, who was sworn in as Sudan’s new prime minister in May this year, painted a stark picture of the humanitarian crisis in the country due to the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which started in April 2023 following tensions over a power struggle between the two sides.
According to UN and local figures, more than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million have been displaced. The war has pushed Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes, according to the UN.
Currently, 30 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 24 million suffering from acute food insecurity.
“Over the past three years, the people of Sudan have endured existential dangers at the hands of the rebel Rapid Support Militia,” Idris stated.
Call for international action
“Our citizens have been forced from their homes and homeland, fleeing systematic killing, torture, looting, rape, humiliation, and the savage destruction of the basic components of life.”
He asserted these actions were part of a deliberate project to “control Sudan, plunder its wealth, and change the demographics of its population.”
Idris criticised “international silence” on RSF’s atrocities, which he said only emboldens the paramilitary group.
“The international community must stop the flow of lethal advanced weapons to the terrorist militia, condemn and criminalise it, classify it as a terrorist group, and halt the influx of mercenaries,” he urged.
“Violating [UN] Resolution 1591 only prolongs the war, increases civilian suffering, and undermines peace, unity, and stability in Sudan and the region.”
He also cautioned against the “political exploitation of human rights as a tool to pressure Sudan” and renewed his government’s rejection of hate speech, racism, and extremism.
Sudanese roadmap to peace
While calling for international support, the Prime Minister emphasised that the path to peace must be Sudanese-led, without foreign interference or “hasty partial solutions.”
He informed the assembly that his government is committed to a national roadmap, created by Sudanese political and civil society groups, which has been presented to the UN.
“We have formed a civilian government of technocrats to lead a national dialogue inclusive of all political and social forces, laying the foundation for free and fair elections,” Idris announced.
He affirmed his government’s commitment to reconstruction, raising health standards, expanding the role of women and youth in peace-building, and ensuring humanitarian access through a cooperation framework signed with the United Nations.
“Sudan stands in support of peace, security, human rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals. But let me state clearly: our sovereignty and territorial integrity are red lines. We will never give up. We will never surrender,” the Sudanese PM declared.
