Sudan17 September, 20262 min read
UN Chief Antonio Guterres Calls For Accountability Over Countries Arming Sudan’s Warring Factions
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Countries arming Sudan's warring factions must be held accountable. Sudan's humanitarian situation is dire and intolerable.
Accountability for Sudan arms
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York next week that “What is happening in Sudan is absolutely horrible,” and called the humanitarian situation “devastating.” Guterres said the war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, and he argued that “there should be accountability” for countries providing weapons to warring parties when those weapons are used massively to attack civilians.
Reuters reported that a U.N. fact-finding mission said foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are helping sustain Sudan’s conflict and expanding the warring parties’ ability to strike distant civilian areas with drones. Benin Web TV said the conflict has displaced more than 14 million people and described it as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world, while also saying Guterres did not publicly name the states targeted by his statement.
Panel of Experts, drones
Dabanga Radio TV Online said Guterres told reporters that “We do not have intelligence services,” but that the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts had analysed the issue and that “the conclusions are clear.” The same report said Guterres argued that “there should be accountability” for interference when some countries provide weapons to parties to a conflict that are used extensively to attack civilians.
Dabanga Radio TV Online also cited OCHA warnings that drone attacks and other hostilities continue to cause serious harm to civilians and critical infrastructure across Sudan, including a report that 13 civilians were killed and others injured when a drone struck a commercial truck in El Kuwaik village on Friday. It added that drones were reportedly intercepted on Wednesday near power-generation facilities at the Sittit and Khashm el-Qirba dams in Gedaref and Kassala states, and that the incidents followed drone strikes on fuel stations in Damazin that reportedly killed six civilians and caused severe fuel shortages in the city.
Humanitarian strain and next steps
Reuters said Sudan’s war has displaced more than 14 million people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, while Guterres pressed for accountability for outside interference tied to attacks on civilians. Dabanga Radio TV Online reported that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide essential assistance despite insecurity and funding constraints, and it said the Sudan Humanitarian Fund is managed by Ocha and recently helped distribute 2,000 personal-hygiene kits to displaced people in North Kordofan and White Nile states.
The report also stated that Ocha renews its call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to allow humanitarian aid to reach people rapidly, safely, and without obstruction for as long as it is needed. It further said only 42% of this year’s Sudan humanitarian appeal has been funded so far, with USD 1.2bn received out of the USD 2.9bn required, as the UN prepares for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.