UN Security Council Considers Measures in Response to Sudan Conflict.

The United Nations Security Council is currently considering a British-proposed resolution urging Sudan’s warring factions to halt hostilities and facilitate the swift, safe, and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid across front lines and borders.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, stems from a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the lead-up to a planned transition to civilian rule. This conflict has triggered the largest displacement crisis in the world.

The fighting has fueled waves of ethnically motivated violence, primarily attributed to the RSF, which denies harming civilians and blames rogue actors for the attacks. Last week, the Security Council imposed its first sanctions during the current conflict, designating two RSF generals. According to Britain’s U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, as of this month, the war has led to severe human rights violations, including widespread rape of women and girls, by both sides. “More than half of Sudan’s population is facing extreme food insecurity,” Woodward stated. “Yet the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF remain focused on fighting each other instead of addressing the hunger and suffering devastating their country.”

Britain aims to bring the draft resolution to a vote as soon as possible. To pass, the resolution requires at least nine votes in favor, with no vetoes from the permanent members of the Security Council— the U.S., France, Britain, Russia, or China.

The United Nations reports that nearly 25 million people, or half of Sudan’s population, are in need of aid, as famine conditions worsen in displacement camps. Over 11 million people have fled their homes, with nearly 3 million crossing into neighboring countries. The British draft demands that the RSF immediately halt its offensives across Sudan and calls on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities. It also urges the warring factions to ensure full, safe, and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance throughout the country.

Additionally, the draft emphasizes the importance of keeping the Adre border crossing with Chad open for aid deliveries and maintaining humanitarian access through all border crossings as long as the needs persist. A temporary approval for the U.N. and aid groups to use the Adre crossing to reach Darfur is set to expire in mid-November.

This resolution follows two previous Security Council resolutions on Sudan: one in March calling for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan, and another in June demanding an end to a siege by the RSF on a city in North Darfur. Both resolutions, which received 14 votes in favor with a Russian abstention, also called for unrestricted humanitarian access.