Sudan Armed Conflict Expanding to Other Regions, Warns UN

Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).
Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).
TT
20

Sudan Armed Conflict Expanding to Other Regions, Warns UN

Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).
Sudanese refugees gather as "Doctors Without Borders" teams provide assistance to war-wounded individuals from West Darfur, Sudan, at Adre Hospital in Chad (Reuters).

The conflict in Sudan, which has left thousands dead and seven million people displaced over seven months, is spreading to new regions of the nation, the UN said Thursday, warning of a mounting "humanitarian calamity."

The deadly unrest includes outbreaks of interethnic violence and attacks against women, according to the global body.

The United Nations assistant secretary-general for Africa, Ghanaian diplomat Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, expressed alarm over the deteriorating crisis in a Security Council meeting, where she told members: "Sudan is facing a convergence of a worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis."

War erupted in Sudan on April 15, pitting army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, in fighting that has left more than 9,000 people dead, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The number is widely considered an underestimate.

"Hostilities have spilled over to new areas, such as Gezira, White Nile and West Kordofan states, placing even more civilians at risk as well as humanitarian operations," Pobee said, AFP reported.

She said the RSF made significant military gains in Darfur from October 26 to November 4, taking control of Sudanese army bases in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state; Zalingei in Central Darfur; and the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina.

"The warring parties have reportedly carried out indiscriminate attacks, while also conducting targeted attacks against civilians, in apparent violation of international humanitarian law," she added.

Despite the difficulties, some 4.1 million people have received humanitarian aid in the last seven months -- but that amounts to just 22 percent of the people whom humanitarian organizations aim to assist this year.



UN’s Tetteh Urges Libyan, Int’l Support for Advisory Committee

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
TT
20

UN’s Tetteh Urges Libyan, Int’l Support for Advisory Committee

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya, Hanna Tetteh, said the mission’s Advisory Committee needs support from Libyan parties and international partners to help create the right conditions for elections.

The UN mission said in a statement on Wednesday that Tetteh made the remarks during a meeting in Tripoli with Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny. The two discussed the committee’s ongoing work as well as Libya’s political and economic situation.

Tetteh reaffirmed the mission’s support for a Libyan-led reconciliation process facilitated by the African Union, emphasizing its victim-centered and human rights-based approach.

During a video meeting with Wahida Ayari, the Head of the AU Liaison Office in Libya (AULOL), Tetteh also discussed the protection of migrants and refugees in the country, the UN mission said.

Tetteh briefed Ayari on the work of the Advisory Committee and broader political process, while Ayari reiterated the African Union’s support for the UN mission’s mandate and efforts in Libya, according to the statement.

In a separate discussion, Tetteh and Greek Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Garilidis stressed the importance of maintaining Libya’s stability and ensuring effective management of its economic resources.

They also reviewed the political process, including the Advisory Committee’s ongoing work and economic track, along with other shared concerns. The statement quoted Garilidis as reaffirming Greece’s commitment, alongside the UN mission, to advancing Libya’s political process.

Tetteh is set to brief the UN Security Council this month on political, security, and humanitarian developments, as well as the latest updates from the UN mission.

According to the Security Council Report, a platform that tracks and analyzes the Council’s work, Tetteh’s briefing on efforts to revive political dialogue will likely be followed by a statement supporting UN mediation efforts or a closed-door meeting to discuss ways to break Libya’s political deadlock.