Mr. Griffiths said that the conflict spelled trauma for Sudan’s youth and cited “deeply disturbing” reports that some children were being used in the fighting.
He also warned that hundreds of thousands of children in the country were severely malnourished and “at imminent risk of death” if left untreated. Those children were particularly vulnerable to disease outbreaks, while access to medical treatment was lacking.
Healthcare ‘decimated’
A “staggering” 67 per cent of all main hospitals in areas affected by the fighting were already out of service as of 31 May, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said. Only 29 hospitals were operating fully or partially and were at risk of closure due to shortages of medical staff, supplies, water and electricity.
Mr. Griffiths stated that the conflict had simply “decimated” Sudan’s health care sector.
The UN health agency warned that critical services, including maternal and child health care and management of severe acute malnutrition, have been discontinued in many areas. WHO noted the high prevalence of wasting and stunting among children, and said that cases of dengue, measles and acute watery diarrhoea were being reported across the country.
‘Lethal combination’
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joined other UN humanitarians in sounding the alarm over the future of the country’s youth, saying that “the lethal combination of measles, malnutrition and displacement is putting lives of children at a very high risk if urgent action is not taken”.
According to UNICEF, at least two million children have been forced from their homes since the start of the conflict just over four months ago. The UN agency also deplored that as the conflict dragged on, an entire generation of young Sudanese was likely to miss out on education.
‘Viral’ spread of conflict
Humanitarians expressed fears of a long war given the relentless, “viral” spread of fighting across the country. Mr. Griffiths noted that the violence and ensuing food shortages had reached the country’s Kordofan region. In South Kordofan’s capital Kadugli, food stocks have been depleted while fighting and roadblocks barred aid workers from reaching those in need, he said.
Mr. Griffiths added that in West Kordofan’s El Fula, humanitarian offices have been ransacked and supplies looted.
He also expressed concern for the safety of civilians in Al Jazira in the eastern part of the country. The state was known for its wheat production and Mr. Griffiths underscored that the conflict was moving ever closer to “Sudan’s breadbasket”.
Region under pressure, funding scarce
With cross-border displacement nearing the one million mark, “a protracted conflict in Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe”, Mr. Griffiths said.
He called on the warring parties to “put the people of Sudan above the pursuit of power or resources”, and on the international community to respond “with the urgency this crisis deserves”.
According to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA), the $2.57 billion humanitarian appeal for Sudan is currently only 26 per cent funded, while funding for the response plan to support neighbouring countries has reached just over 30 percent.
Ambassadors were briefed by two senior UN counter-terrorism officials who presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on the group, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which showed that the threat in non-conflict areas remains low.
“This analytical distinction can obscure what is the complex, context- specific and dynamic nature of how these groups operate and evolve and their impact on international peace and security,” said Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT).
He stressed that countering and preventing terrorism require long-term commitment as well as continued and coordinated efforts.
Expansion and attacks in Africa
Mr. Voronkov said the continued expansion of Da’esh and affiliates in parts of Africa, as well as the increasing level of violence and threat, remain deeply concerning.
The Da’esh affiliate in the Sahel region “is becoming increasingly autonomous” and stepping up attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
“The confrontations between this group and an Al-Qaida affiliate in the region, coupled with the uncertain situation after thecoup d’état in Niger, present a complex and multi-faceted challenge,” he added.
Conflict and instability in Sudan have also renewed attention on the presence and activity of Da’esh and other terrorist groups there.
Attacks have also increased in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where some 500 people have been killed in terrorist violence in the volatile eastern region of the country.
Challenges in Afghanistan
Meanwhile, the situation in Afghanistan is growing increasingly complex, as fears of weapons and ammunition falling in the hands of terrorists are now materializing.
“Thein-country operational capabilities of Da’esh’s so-called Khorasan province, sanctioned as ISIL-K, has reportedly increased, with the group becoming more sophisticated in its attacks against the Taliban and international targets,” he said.
“Moreover, the presence and activity of some 20 different terrorist groups in the country, combined with the repressive measures put in place by the Taliban de facto authorities, the absence of sustainable development and a dire humanitarian situation, pose significant challenges for the region and beyond.”
Counter-terrorism successes
Mr. Voronkov also pointed to successful counter-terrorism initiatives by the international community, such as progress in targeting Da’esh finances.
Cash reserves estimated at $25 million to $50 million “are now significantly less and diminishing”, according to the UN report, which also noted“ sustained attrition” to the group’s leadership, including the killing of its chief earlier this year in Syria.
“As a result of counter-terrorism efforts, Da’esh has moved to adopt less hierarchical and more networked, decentralised structures, following Al-Qaida’s footsteps, with increased operational autonomy by its affiliated groups,” said Mr. Voronkov.
Upcoming summit in Nigeria
He underscored that international law “remains the bedrock” for successful counter-terrorism efforts.
Initiatives must be “firmly grounded in political strategies for resolving the conflicts that fuel terrorism the most”, he said, while “more complementarity” between security responses and preventive measures is also needed.
He also looked to a counter-terrorism summit in Nigeria next year, organized by his office and the Government, as an opportunity to both increase international support and address the situation on the continent.
Repatriations from Syria camps
Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the secretariat for the Council’s own Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), addressed four key trends in the report.
Among them were continued efforts by Governments to repatriate their nationals from camps in northeast Syria hosting thousands of people, mainly women and children, with alleged ties to terrorist groups.
“At the same time, we must also recall the responsibility of Member States to bring terrorists to justice, and to demonstrate international cooperation in efforts to do so,” she said.
As the Da’esh presence in parts of Africa continues to evolve, Ms. Gherman highlighted the need for the UN to support countries on the continent.
Accountability and justice
Her final point noted that the UN has stepped up efforts to hold Da’esh accountable for its crimes.
For example, CTED partnered with UN experts on the rule of law to explore criminal justice avenues for sexual and gender-based violence committed by terrorist groups.
“Drawing from practitioners’ experiences in the field and the perspectives of civil society, it was clear that only through accountability and justice can we begin to address the fear and devastation that terrorism inflicts on individuals, communities, and nations,” she said.
“I emphasize the importance of re-establishing communication channels, particularly between military entities,” said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, briefing ambassadors at the Security Council.
“Exercising maximum restraints is critical to avoid unintended escalation. Diplomacy and dialogue – not isolation – is the only way forward.”
On 24 August, DPRK – more commonly known as North Korea – conducted what it described as its second launch of a military reconnaissance satellite from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The launch failed, reportedly due to an error during the flight.
The launch follows a previous attempt to launch a satellite on 31 May and according to official media, the country is to conduct a third satellite launch in October.
He reiterated his call on the country to cease such acts and to swiftly resume dialogue without preconditions to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Over 90 launches
In his briefing, Mr. Khiari noted that developing a military reconnaissance satellite was part of North Korea’s five-year military development plan, which it unveiled in January 2021.
In line with the plan, the DPRK has significantly increased its missile launch activities in 2022 and 2023, including more than 90 launches using ballistic missile technology, in violation of Security Council resolutions, he said.
“Since our last briefing on 13 July, the DPRK has openly displayed its nuclear-weapon delivery systems during both a weaponry exhibition and a military parade. Such displays undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that underpins it.”
Humanitarian situation
Mr. Khiari also highlighted concerns over the humanitarian situation in North Korea, compounded by climate hazards and ongoing border closures and noted reports of an easing of border restrictions.
“The United Nations is ready to assist the DPRK in addressing the basic needs of its vulnerable populations,” he said.
The UN political affairs official further noted progress in vaccines and treatments, and the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that COVID-19no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and urged the country to allow unimpeded re-entry and rotation of the international community, including UN officials.
“A collective return would positively impact international support to the people of DPRK and strengthen communication channels,” he said.
The then New York-based Elpida Rouka had accompanied the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme on a mission to Baghdad and survived the deadly explosion which killed 22 of her UN colleagues.
“A young 25-year-old barely two years into the UN at the time, I was in equal measure bright-eyed and bushy tailed practically cajoling the Executive Director of the Iraq programme to take me along on that August mission to Baghdad. I was naive about the workings of the world, not always a pretty sight, and the organization’s role therein.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
Elpida Rouka, survivor of the bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad on 19 August 2003 holds her damaged UN Laissez-Passer.
Other than the personal cost, I suffered latent PTSD that manifested years later, and the personal cost to so many, I had not yet realized the cost to the organization. Baghdad changed everything for the UN. How we do things. Who we are. What the world thinks of us. What we think of us.
I could not fathom why late Secretary-General Kofi Annan did not order the UN out of Iraq; years later, when I worked in his Cabinet, we made our peace. And yet I myself returned to Iraq four years on, not as an aid worker but as part of a political mission, a continuation of sorts of what Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN Special Representative in Iraq, who died in the attack, and his team had started that fateful summer. I had at last “consciously” embraced the UN blue.
UN terrorist target
Canal will always serve as a reminder, albeit a tragic one, of what the UN blue flag, for the first time a direct target of a terrorist attack, represents or must represent.
I am now about the age many of those we lost on that day would have been. They embodied the spirit of the UN flag, defying risk, rising above politics, speaking up for those whose voices were silenced, talking truth to power, challenging more powerful groups when those are wrong, pushing against all odds and going back.
They and everyone else we have lost and keep on losing since in too many conflicts where we have failed to bring about peace will continue to serve as a compass to course-correct, lest we forget that the oath of office encompassed the preamble of the UN Charter: “We, the peoples…”
Several missions – Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria – and physical and emotional scars later, I continue to carry my scorched and shrapnelled UN laissez-passer from that August 2003 to remind me exactly of that.
Changing nature of conflicts
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is widely used by UN staff for example in Mali (pictured).
It is hard to tell whether 20 years on Canal has any meaning to the outside world or even to the younger generations of international civil servants, other than to the survivors. In many ways the nature of conflicts and UN engagement therein has changed significantly in two decades, with modern peace operations set in increasingly complex, constantly shifting, high-risk multipolar settings with involvement of non-State actors and violent extremists, asymmetry of use of force, spillover of conflict beyond borders, great power fallouts and ensuing deepening of global mistrust.
Operating behind T-walls [protective concrete barriers that surround UN compounds in conflict-affected countries], out of sandbagged fortified compounds, in armoured vehicles, clad in PPEs [personal protective equipment] and wary of extended exposure to the locals is often considered the norm.
In Iraq, children run with kites in Domiz Camp in Dohuk.
At the same time, the organization is challenged to be accountable to its own and to those they serve. We still have many lessons to learn from Canal when it comes to the latter, for our missions to be fully prepared for the worst, for our staff to be conscious of the complexities of the places we are deployed in, and for our leadership to be able to clearly communicate what it is we are doing there.
The same goes for the Member States which at times present us with impossible mandates. Yet the UN’s response to Canal was right in one major aspect: the UN did not abandon the Iraqis on that day, and in doing so it acknowledged the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the pursuit of truth; those who remain a moral compass.”
Designing ways to fight back against falsehoods that can trigger tensions, violence, or even death, the UN has been monitoring how mis- and disinformation and hate speech can attack health, security, stability as well as progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The ability to disseminate large-scale disinformation to undermine scientifically established facts poses an existential risk to humanity and endangers democratic institutions and fundamental human rights,” he wrote in the brief.
Countering deadly disinformation
Disinformation can be dangerous in other ways. Several UN missions have reported social media campaigns in recent years targeting their peacekeeping work.
In 2019, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known by its French acronym MONUSCO, raised grave concerns about social media disinformation campaigns calling for violence against peacekeepers during an Ebola epidemic and following a deadly attack by an armed group in the restive eastern region.
By 2022, the Security Council had adjusted the mandates of its four largest peacekeeping operations – DRC, Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, and South Sudan – and added the task of preventing disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining a mission’s credibility
“This is a war that is going on through social media, the radio, and traditional news outlets,” said Bintou Keita, who heads MONUSCO. Fighting deadly disinformation has been a “painful curve” to learn of this new battlefield, but the mission has now become proactive on social and other media platforms, to help stop its spread, she added.
Digital army fights fake news
UN Photo/Martine Perret
Weapons and ammunition is collected during a demobilization process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
To fight back against disinformation, UN peacekeepers are putting new tools into the hands of civilians of all ages, including 15-year-old Blessing Kasasi in DRC.
An activist advocating for the rights of women and children, Ms. Kasasi readily joined a workshop in the capital city of Kinshasa, with 30 young people who learned about detecting “fake news” and countering it with the most effective weapon: the truth.
Guillaume Kingh-Farel, one of the workshop trainers, said disinformation is “used as a weapon of war to undermine MONUSCO’s peace efforts in the DRC”.
As such, the MONUSCO-supported workshop to train “a digital army capable of detecting false information” by producing content with the help of a smartphone and editing software and simultaneously spreading objective, credible information through “relay clubs” that disseminate these messages through their networks.
“From a smartphone, I will produce videos to echo good information,” Ms. Kasasi said after the workshop.
Setting the stage
For UN peace operations, some communities they engage are welcoming the new approaches this summer.
In Mali, where a transitional Government has been in power since a coup in 2021, the UN mission, MINUSMA, hosted the first of its kind blogger festival, attracting nearly 400 participants in Mopti in early June.
“With the advance of technology, digital media is increasingly being used to spread misinformation,” said a popular local blogger who attended the event. “A festival to combat misinformation is an innovative approach to overcome this challenge, a useful means for deconstructing hate speech and fake news.”
By the end of June, at the Malian Government’s request, the UN Security Council terminated the mission, which is slated for a complete withdrawal from the country by 1 January 2024.
Other efforts are unfolding elsewhere. In early August, in Abyei, a contested zone straddling Sudan and South Sudan, the UN mission there, UNISFA, launched Voice of Peace, an internet radio station aimed at countering hate speech, and fake news.
Meanwhile, in DR Congo, MONUSCO’s initiatives continue to reach communities plagued by disinformation-triggered tensions. This includes recruiting digital experts, building multimedia products, and reaching out to communities, especially social media savvy youth, mission chief Ms. Keita said.
With these tools, she said MONUSCO has been trying to “beef up our capacity to monitor and to be present on digital platforms in such a way that we are not going to always be in a reactive mode, but in an anticipatory mode”.
How can you spot and counter disinformation online?
The UN Verified initiative launched a free online course on how to stay safe from dangerous disinformation circulating on social media. Here are some of the lessons covered:
✔️ Recognize disinformation and why it spreads.
✔️ Recognize emotional, dramatic, and provocative content.
✔️ Understand the danger of fabricated claims and selective evidence.
✔️ Protect yourself from bots and trolls.
✔️ Spot hacked accounts and protect your own accounts.
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement issued on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres that several members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) had been injured while UN vehicles had also been damaged inside the buffer zone that divides the Turkish Cypriot north and Greek Cypriot south.
Security Council mandate
Mr. Dujarric said the peacekeepers had been preventing unauthorized construction work in the Pyla/Pile area, “in accordance with their mandate” provided by the UN Security Council.
According to news reports, Turkish Cypriot bulldozers moved in to clear UN vehicles, bollards and barbed wires placed in the buffer zone, and three UNFICYP personnel required hospital treatment following the assault, including one who had been kicked to the ground.
UNFICYP also condemned the attack saying in a statement that threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property were “unacceptable and constitute a serious crime under international law, which will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The Secretary-General urged the Turkish Cypriot side “to respect the authority of UNFICYP as mandated by the Security Council and to withdraw all personnel and machinery from the UN buffer zone immediately.
‘Constructively re-engage’
He also called on the Turkish Cypriot side “to constructively re-engage with UNFICYP to find a mutually agreeable way forward in the Pyla/Pile area.”
The tensions result from a plan by Turkish Cypriot authorities to build a new road which includes an area under UN control, according to news reports.
Since a de facto ceasefire between the two sides on the island in August 1974, UNFICYP has supervised ceasefire lines provide humanitarian assistance and maintained the buffer zone between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot forces.
The Secretary-General also reiterated his “long-standing call on the parties to refrain from taking any unilateral actions that may raise tensions and compromise finding a mutually acceptable way forward.”
The men – four national staff and a Bangladeshi citizen – were abducted in the southern governorate of Abyan on 11 February 2022 after returning from a field mission.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres was delighted to learn of their release, noting that available information suggests they all are in good health.
Mr. Guterres was “profoundly relieved that their ordeal and the anxiety of their families and friends have finally come to an end,” his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said in a statement.
“The Secretary-General reiterates that kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustifiable crime, and calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable,” it said. “He also expresses his solidarity with other people still held against their will in Yemen.”
In good spirits
The UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, also welcomed the development.
“I was extremely pleased to see for myself that the four Yemeni colleagues were in good health when I flew with them to Aden from Mukalla today,” he said.
Mr. Gressly reported that they all are in good spirits and in contact with their families. He thanked the Government of Yemen and others that helped to secure the staff members’ release and ensure their health during their lengthy captivity.
“While the entire UN family in Yemen is relieved that our colleagues are free, we also recall other UN staff are still held against their will in Yemen. We stand in solidarity with them,” he added.
Wheat flour is distributed to vulnerable families in Abyan, Yemen. (file)
The UN in Yemen
Yemen continues to face a protracted political, humanitarian and developmental crisis after more than eight years of fighting between pro-Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels.
More than 21 million people – roughly two-thirds of the population – need support and protection, and the UN and partners are delivering essential humanitarian aid and development assistance.
Humanitarians are seeking $4.3 billion to reach 17. 3 million people this year, but the appeal is just over 30 per cent funded.
Meanwhile, a UN-led operation to transfer more than a million barrels of crude oil from a decaying supertanker moored off Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which began just over two weeks ago, concluded on Friday.
The floating, storage and offloading (FSO) vessel Safer has been permanently anchored for more than 30 years. Prior to the escalation of the conflict in 2015, it was used to store and export oil from fields around Ma’rib.
The fighting brought production to a halt and the FSO Safe deteriorated significantly in the absence of any servicing or maintenance, sparking fears of a major environmental disaster.
According to UNICEF, nearly 300 confirmed cases were reported in the first six months of 2023, almost matching the total number documented over 2022 and close to three times the number in 2021.
“The stories we are hearing from UNICEF staff and partners on the ground are shocking and unacceptable,” Gary Conille, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a news release.
“The growing trend in kidnappings and abductions is extremely worrisome, threatening both the people of Haiti and those who have come to help,” he added.
In most instances, children and women are forcefully taken by armed groups and used for financial or tactical gains. The victims who manage to return home grapple with deep physical and psychological scars, possibly for many years.
Women and children are not bargaining chips
The overall situation in Haiti is catastrophic. Today, an estimated 5.2 million people, or close to half of the entire population, require humanitarian assistance, including almost three million children.
Children find themselves in the crossfire, or directly targeted, and women and girls face extreme sexual violence, as armed groups terrorize the population in their fight for territory and control, mainly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and also in other regions.
“Women and children are not commodities. They are not bargaining chips. And they must never be exposed to such unimaginable violence,” Mr. Conille said, calling for the immediate release and safe return of all those who have been kidnapped.
Health system on verge of collapse
On top of crime and violence, reports indicate that local healthcare systems are teetering on the brink of collapse amid a resurgence of cholera and severe malnutrition.
The increase in violence, looting, road blockades, and the pervasive presence of armed groups severely obstruct humanitarian efforts, making it difficult to deliver much-needed aid to affected communities, UNICEF said, noting that as months go by, it adds an increasing layer of fear and complexity to an already challenging environment for those delivering life-saving aid.
The assassination of the President of Haiti in 2021 plunged the country into a deep political crisis, which has been exacerbated by an unprecedented breakdown in security.
Armed criminal gangs are said to be “imposing a regime of terror” and violence in most parts of Port-au-Prince, severely impacting the humanitarian, human rights and socio-economic situation in a country already hit hard by poverty, disease and disasters.
Commitment to support those in need
The UN agency added that it stands steadfast in its commitment to deliver critical aid and support for Haiti’s children who have been impacted by these traumatic events.
Beyond its initial crisis response, UNICEF supports the children and victims of the crimes, and working alongside partners, provides life-saving assistance, ensuring access to medical care, psychosocial support, and safe spaces where children can begin the process of healing and recovery.
“I have witnessed the remarkable resilience of Haitian children, women and families as they face seemingly insurmountable challenges, refusing to surrender,” said Mr. Conille.
“However, their bravery is being met with increasing, unthinkable terror. It must stop now.”
In a message to mark the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Mr. Guterres urged the international community to learn from the “nuclear cataclysm” that befell the Japanese city on 6 August 1945.
Pending the total elimination of all nuclear weapons, Mr. Guterres appealed to the international community to speak as one, as outlined in his New Agenda for Peace. Launched in July this year, the Agenda calls on Member States to urgently recommit to pursuing a world free of nuclear weapons and to reinforce the global norms against their use and proliferation.
“States possessing nuclear weapons must commit to never use them,” he insisted, as he stressed the UN’s commitment to continue working to strengthen global rules on disarmament and non-proliferation, notably the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
NPT talks are taking place at the UN in the Austrian capital until 11 August, where Ms. Nakamitsu reiterated her warning to the forum that not “since the depths of the Cold War” has the risk of a nuclear weapon being used so high – just as the rules-based order intended to prevent their use has never been “so fragile”.
“This is, to a large extent, because of the volatile times in which we live,” Ms. Nakamitsu continued, pointing to the “existential” threat facing the world today, which is the result of “the highest level of geopolitical competition, rising tensions and deepening divisions among major powers in decades”.
Trillion dollar question
Coupled with rising global tensions is a record level of world military expenditure which reportedly reached a $2,240 billion in 2022.
This situation has led to an increased emphasis on nuclear weapons, “through modernization programmes, expanded doctrines, allegations of growing stockpiles and most alarmingly…threats to use them”, explained the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.
“The fact that in the last 12 months nuclear weapons have openly been used as tools of coercion should worry us all,” she added.
The 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) is one of the only international agreements signed by both nuclear and non-nuclear states, aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and furthering the goal of nuclear disarmament.
After entering into force in 1970, 191 states have since become party to the treaty – the most signatories of any arms limitation agreement.
Bold goals
The treaty centres on the idea that non-nuclear States agree to never acquire weapons and nuclear-weapons states in exchange agree to share the benefits of the technology, whilst pursuing efforts towards disarmament and elimination of nuclear arsenals.
In addition to the Vienna talks now under way and which come ahead of the NPT’s five-yearly review in 2026, countries have also exchanged on disarmament and non-proliferation issues at the UN’s Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in the past week.
In recent days – and despite ongoing concerns that the Conference remains deadlocked by geopolitical developments – the forum’s 65 Member States heard briefings from the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the battlefield.
The aim of such discussions is to establish a mechanism that allows for regular multilateral dialogue and the inclusion of the views of countries that are not actively involved in the development of artificial intelligence, to ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI in the military domain.
The Conference on Disarmament – which was established in 1979 – is not formally a UN body but reports annually, or more frequently as appropriate, to the UN General Assembly.
Its remit reflects the Organization’s conviction that disarmament and non-proliferation remain indispensable tools to create a security environment that is favourable to human development, as enshrined in the UN Charter.
Latest data from IOM’s displacement matrix indicates that the clash between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries has uprooted a staggering number of people, with more than 926,000 seeking refuge abroad and a total of 3.02 million internally displaced.
According to IOM’s latest humanitarian situation update, individuals have been forced to leave all of Sudan’s 18 states. Those with the highest proportions of displaced people are River Nile (15 per cent), North (11 per cent), North Darfur (9 per cent) and White Nile (9 per cent).
IOM field teams have reported that the majority of internally displaced individuals, 71 per cent, originated from Khartoum State.
The UN organization emphasized that the current estimate of displacements over the past 108 days surpasses the total recorded for the previous four years. But it also noted that access to many areas remains impossible because of the fighting, meaning that current assessments have been based on preliminary reports or estimates.
Shelter across borders
A total of 926,841 people have now sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. Sudanese nationals accounted for more than two-thirds of these arrivals, while foreign nationals and returnees made up the remaining third, IOM said.
To mark 100 days since the start of the conflict on 24 July, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that it was “time for all parties to this conflict to immediately end this tragic war”, amid growing concerns for refugees fleeing Sudan. According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, conditions have been “harrowing” for those reaching shelter in neighbouring countries, where displacement camps are overcrowded and the looming rainy season has made relocation and aid deliveries harder.
Echoing those concerns, the IOM also warned on Wednesday that the rains pose a significant risk of flooding and could exacerbate the already fragile conditions.
Horrors of war
Since mid-April, the conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused displacement, death, injury and an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Reports of looting, attacks on public institutions and the occupation of private homes continue in the capital Khartoum, while clashes persist in four out of the five Darfur states.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported cases of infectious diseases and other illness among displaced populations who have sought shelter in hard-to-reach locations, where health services are limited. The UN agency also reported that more than 50 health facilities have been attacked.
Although the WHO is supporting health services both in Sudan and bordering countries, the organization warned that the health crisis has impacted the entire region. And as efforts continue to bring about an end to the fighting, humanitarians fear that the situation could worsen for already vulnerable civilians caught up in the conflict.
The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the efforts to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government of the Republic of Niger on 26 July 2023.
Earlier this week, the demand to release the President of Niger was voiced by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Late on Wednesday, a group of Nigerien military officers made a television announcement declaring a coup, after members of the president’s own guard detained him inside his offices in the capital city of Niamey. According to news reports, the attempted coup did not have the backing of the entire military, but the head of the army announced that he supported the move.
In their statement, the Security Council members expressed concern over the negative impact of unconstitutional changes of government in the region, increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio-economic situation. They also underlined their regret over the developments in Niger, which undermine efforts at consolidating the institutions of governance and peace in that country.
Support to international formats
The Council expressed support for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations and welcomed their statements reaffirming their opposition to any seizure of power by unconstitutional means, as well as the calls to the forces involved to refrain from violence, hand over power and return to their barracks.
Reiterating support for efforts to reverse unconstitutional government changes, the Council backed ECOWAS and the AU in strengthening governance and normative frameworks. In solidarity with the people of Niger, the Council emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance during this challenging time.
Nicole Kouassi, UN Acting Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, was speaking from the capital, Niamey, just hours after the general whose troops seized the democratically elected president, declared that he was assuming control of the country.
On behalf of UN agencies on the ground, she echoed the Secretary-General’s condemnation of Wednesday’s coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, who reportedly remains in detention at his home.
A ‘difficult situation’
Ms. Kouassi expressed concern over the current “difficult situation” in Niger, where 4.3 million people, mainly women and children, were already dependent on aid prior to the power grab.
Some 3.3 million are facing food insecurity, while a $534 million appeal is just over 30 per cent funded, she said, calling for greater support.
The UN and international aid groups have not stopped delivering amid the crisis. However, UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights have been temporarily suspended because the air space is closed, along with the territorial borders.
“All the humanitarian partners and development partners remain engaged and committed to supporting the vulnerable population of Niger who are affected by a combination of climate issues, economic and security shocks in the context of very high humanitarian and development needs,” she said.
Response never stopped
Jean-Noel Gentile, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP) affirmed that “humanitarian response continues on the ground and has never stopped”.
WFP is providing both cash assistance and food assistance in Niger and will continuously assess the situation to ensure its staff and partners can safely access people in need.
“Only if security is an issue, we will temporarily possibly suspend certain operations in certain areas. But this is not currently the case,” he said.
Border closure impacts
The crisis could potentially affect the humanitarian response in the wider region, which continues to face impacts from conflict, drought, insecurity and other challenges.
Mr. Gentile said WFP recently established a logistics hub in Niamey as a transit point for hard-to-reach areas in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, which are only accessible through Niger.
The agency has also been facilitating delivery of humanitarian aid to Chad, which is now hosting hundreds of thousands fleeing the conflict in Sudan, “so the closure of the borders will temporarily suspend this vital cross-border logistics support.” As a result, WFP is examining the possibility of alternative routes.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has not witnessed “any particular movements” related to the coup, said Emmanuel Gignac, Deputy Representative in Niger.
UNHCR monitors regular movements of internally displaced people in Niger, or refugee flows from Burkina Faso, Mali and northwest Nigeria.
No warning signs
Ms. Kouassi was asked if UN agencies were in contact with the military, but she said no, stressing that they do not have political mandates.
Journalists asked if there were any warning signs ahead of the coup, or if the UN officials had seen personnel from the Russian private military company Wagner Group in Niger. Ms. Kouassi answered no to both questions.
“No early signs were noticed,” she said. “We woke up in the morning and we were faced with the situation. And as of now, no sign of Wagner from the UN perspective.”
Briefing the Security Council, Lt. Gen. Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recalled when dykes collapsed in Unity State in October 2022, leading to flash floods not seen in nearly six decades, displacing over 170,000 people to the provincial capital Bentiu.
If left unaddressed the floods could have led to the death of over 40,000 IDPs (internally-displaced persons) he said, adding that the breach was detected by a dyke monitoring patrol.
“Even heavy engineering equipment could not reach the breach, but UNMISS personnel – civilian and military – and the local community stood there, in a human chain; reached the breach, filled sandbags and closed the breach,” he said.
Their actions saved at least 40,000 lives, Lt. Gen. Subramanian added.
He also described practical aspects of the UNMISS protection mandate, which includes engagement with the Government and national forces, including joint deployments in potential conflict areas; short and long-term patrols; and when required, deployment of quick reaction forces to protect those in need.
Damaging disinformation
Lt. Gen. Otávio Rodrigues De Miranda Filho, Force Commander of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), told ambassadors that the Mission’s primary concern is the country’s weak justice system and lack of capacity of its security forces.
The level of impunity is too high, he said, adding that illegal armed groups often target civilians and the most vulnerable in a “cycle of retaliatory violence.”
He said it was vital to raise the issue of protection with political leaders, establish safe civilian spaces, deploy air assets and conduct joint operations with national forces, where possible.
The Force Commander also described evolving new threats, especially the spread of disinformation, which has endangered civilians and also provoked attacks against peacekeepers.
Manipulation through the information domain has eroded support, making it much more difficult to carry out patrols in the protection of civilians, he said, adding, “we must understand that we are going to operate in a hostile environment with a high possibility of armed confrontation.”
Enabling dialogue
Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said that at present, there is no clear imminent physical threat to civilians, and the Force’s focus is on prevention.
That is best achieved through robust deployment across the area of operation, situational awareness, and dialogue and engagement with the parties to the conflict, he said, noting the establishment of a tripartite forum.
This is the only venue where Lebanese and Israeli forces can meet and address security concerns.
“The forum is the cornerstone of UNIFIL’s coordination and liaison mechanisms and a vital platform for de-confliction, confidence-building and conflict-prevention between the parties which remain technically at war,” he said.
He also highlighted UNIFIL’s liaison branch of unarmed observers, who are deployed north and south of the Blue Line and maintain regular contact with the Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese Armed Forces on the ground.
About the Missions
UNMISS was established by the Security Council in 2011, following South Sudan’s independence from Sudan, to help maintain peace and stability at the time when the young nation faced significant internal conflicts and humanitarian challenges. As of June 2022, the Mission’s total personnel – civil and uniformed – numbered 17,954, including 13,221 troops and 1,468 police.
MONUSCO, which stands for UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was established by the Security Council in 2010, to help address the complex and ongoing conflicts in the DRC and to help stabilize the region. It is one of the largest and most complex peacekeeping operations in the world. Its total personnel, as of February, stands at 17,753, including 12,379 troops, 1,597 police, and 330 staff officers.
Established in 1978, UNIFIL’s primary mandate is to ensure peace and security along the Blue Line, the delineation of the Israel-Lebanon border. It also supports humanitarian assistance to those in need. As of November 2022, the Mission is composed of about 10,000 military and 800 civilian personnel.
His message marked the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement that ended the hostilities and established a demilitarized zone, about 240 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide, as a buffer.
The conflict however never officially ended because the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Republic of Korea – more commonly known as North and South Korea, respectively – failed to reach agreement over a formal peace treaty.
Divided peninsula
Mr. Guterres noted that the Korean Peninsula remains divided and amidst rising geopolitical tensions, increased nuclear risk and eroding respect for international norms, the threat of escalation is growing.
“We need a surge in diplomacy for peace,” he highlighted, urging the parties to resume regular diplomatic contacts and nurture an environment conducive to dialogue.
“Our goals remain clear: sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
UN steadfast partner
The Secretary-General further stressed that “the United Nations is your steadfast partner as we strive to realize the vision of a Korean Peninsula in which all can enjoy peace, prosperity, and human rights.”
He said he looked forward to UN personnel and the international community returning to the DPRK capital, Pyongyang, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This collective return will critically contribute to better supporting the people, strengthen relations, and fortify communication channels,” he said.
Over the past week, Russia has carried out aerial attacks on Odesa and two other port cities, Chornomorsk and Mykolaiv, since terminating the landmark Black Sea Initiative on grain and fertilizer exports.
International media reported that at least one person was killed and more than 20 wounded in Sunday’s attack, which damaged significant cultural sites in Odesa, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, the first and foremost Orthodox church in the city.
The Cathedral was founded in 1794 and is located in the Historic Centre of Odesa, which was in January inscribed on the World Heritage List maintained by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Mr. Guterres also expressed concern about the war’s increasing threat to Ukrainian culture and heritage. UNESCO has verified damage to 270 cultural sites, including 116 religious sites, since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022.
“The Secretary-General urges the Russian Federation to immediately cease attacks against cultural property protected by widely ratified international normative instruments. The Secretary-General also continues to urge immediate cessation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the statement concluded.
‘Outrageous destruction’
UNESCO was deeply dismayed by the “brazen attack”, which it condemned in the strongest terms. A mission will be deployed to Odesa in the coming days to conduct a preliminary assessment of damages.
The agency said this “act of hostility” follows other recent attacks that impacted cultural heritage in areas of Lviv and Odesa that are protected under the World Heritage Convention.
“This outrageous destruction marks an escalation of violence against cultural heritage of Ukraine,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General. She urged Russia “to take meaningful action” to comply with its obligations under international law, including with regard to the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.
Furthermore, the attacks contradict recent statements by Russian authorities concerning precautions taken to spare World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including their buffer zones, the agency said, adding that intentional destruction of cultural sites may amount to a war crime.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay (2nd left) visited a church during her mission to Ukraine in April 2023.
Protecting cultural institutions
In response to the war, UNESCO is working to promote the protection of cultural institutions in Ukraine, along with other actions such as denouncing violence against journalists and supporting the maintenance of education.
Ms. Azoulay was in Odesa in April where she met with World Heritage site managers and stakeholders from the cultural sector. She took stock of emergency actions by UNESCO to protect cultural heritage threatened by the conflict.
Speaking at the time, she said nearly $7 billion will be required over the next decade to rebuild the cultural sector in Ukraine.
In a statement, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator David Gressly said he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the appalling attack”, which occurred on Friday when unknown gunmen fired on the aid workers in the town of Turbah, located in Taiz governorate in southwestern Yemen.
Never a target
Mr. Gressley said the entire UN family and humanitarian partners in the country are grieving the loss of Moayad Hameidi, a Jordanian national and dedicated humanitarian, who died in hospital shortly after the attack.
“Mr. Hameidi’s death is indeed an unacceptable tragedy. I call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. Humanitarian workers should never be a target,” he said.
Mr. Hameidi was a veteran WFP staff member, having worked for the UN agency for 18 years, including on a previous posting in Yemen.
He had only recently returned to the country to assume a new job as the head of WFP’s office in Taiz.
The Resident Coordinator conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to Mr. Hameidi’s family and friends, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured staff member.
The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka was the most emblematic, complex case the court in North Kivu province had ever handled, and its proceedings and final judgement in 2020 provide a compelling example of how to bring a war criminal to justice.
The case also illustrates the importance of UN peace operations’ support to national justice and security institutions.
The crimes: ‘On a scale never seen’
On 30 July 2010, armed members of the militia Nduma Défense of Congo (NDC) fanned out across 13 remote villages in restive, resource-rich Walikale, the largest territory in North Kivu, 150 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Goma.
Situated within a large equatorial forest, the area had been plagued by two decades of conflict, with myriad armed groups fighting to control lucrative mines, including those extracting tin’s primary mineral, cassiterite.
The then 34-year-old Mr. Sheka – a former miner who founded a year earlier what Goma’s chief military prosecutor called the area’s “most organized” armed group, complete with units, brigades, battalions, and companies – had given his orders.
For four days and nights, his recruits discharged them.
“Sheka wasn’t just anyone,” Nadine Sayiba Mpila, Public Prosecutor in Goma, told UN News. “Sheka committed crimes on a scale never seen in DR Congo.”
She described how his soldiers “would slaughter people and put the heads of these people on stakes and walk through the streets of the villages to say this is what awaits you if you don’t denounce what he called ‘the enemies’”.
By 2 August 2010, the armed militia had begun to fully occupy the villages.
The warrant: Wanted for war crimes
UNHCR/S. Schulman
A staff member from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, talks to displaced Congolese women in Lushebere Camp in 2012. (file)
Those who could, fled to safety. Some sought medical help from a nearby non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Within two weeks, the survivors’ stories had reached the authorities. Media reports headlined the attacks as “mass rapes”. The UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, supported the deployment of a police contingent.
By November 2010, a case was brought against the warlord. Congolese authorities then issued a national arrest warrant for Mr. Sheka, and the UN Security Council added him to its sanctions list.
Mandated to protect civilians and support national authorities, MONUSCO launched Operation Silent Valley in early August 2011, helping residents to safely return to their villages.
‘No choice but to surrender’
Mr. Sheka was now a fugitive.
Also known as the Mai-Mai militia, NDC continued to operate in the area along with other armed groups.
“Cornered on all sides, he was now weakened, and had no choice but to surrender,” said Colonel Ndaka Mbwedi Hyppolite, Chief Prosecutor of the Operational Military Court of North Kivu, which tried Mr. Sheka’s case.
He turned himself in on 26 July 2017 to MONUSCO, who handed him over to Congolese authorities, which in turn charged him with war crimes, including murder, sexual slavery, recruitment of children, looting, and rape.
“The time had come to tell the truth and face the consequences of the truth,” Ms. Sayiba said.
The trial: 3,000 pieces of evidence
Ahead of the trial, UN peacekeepers helped to build the detention cells that housed Mr. Sheka and the courtroom itself, where military court proceedings unfolded over two years, pausing from March to June 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting in November 2018, the court would consider 3,000 pieces of evidence and hear from 178 witnesses at 108 hearings.
Their testimonies played a key role, representing the prosecution’s “last resort” to prove that crimes had been committed, said Patient Iraguha, Senior Legal Advisor for TRIAL International in DRC, who helped authorities with the case.
But, getting victims to testify was a serious challenge, the Congolese prosecutors said.
During the trial, Mr. Sheka had “reached out to certain victims to intimidate them”, jeopardizing their willingness to appear in court. However a joint effort involving the UN and such partners as TRIAL International changed that, Ms. Sayiba explained.
Colonel Ndaka agreed, adding that some rape victims also feared being stigmatised by society.
Protection measures were established, and judicial authorities were able to gather evidence in collaboration with MONUSCO, which also trained the judiciary in international criminal law procedures, giving the court sufficient knowledge to properly investigate the case, he said.
“When the Congolese authorities had to go into the field to investigate or to listen to the victims, they were surrounded by a MONUSCO contingent,” he said. “The victims who did appear, did so thanks to the support provided by our partners.”
“The harrowing testimonies I heard from survivors in 7 villages from Kibua to Mpofu in Walikale in 2010 are indelibly etched on my mind,” he wrote on social media at the time.
The first witnesses to appear in court were six children, with victims testifying through July 2020.
“After his testimony before the jury, Sheka started crying,” Ms. Sayiba recalled. “A defendant’s tears are a response. I believe Sheka realized that he was now alone. He had to take responsibility for his actions.”
The verdict: Congolese justice ‘did it’
On 23 November 2020, the Operational Military Court sentenced Mr. Sheka to life in prison.
“This marks an important step forward in combating impunity for perpetrators of child recruitment and other grave violations,” the UN Secretary-General wrote about the case in his report on children and armed conflict in the DRC.
Ms. Sayiba said the sentencing sent “a great message” and “an assurance to the victims who could now see that their testimonies were not in vain”.
For Colonel Ndaka, the verdict was “a source of pride for myself, for my country, for Congolese justice”.
Today, the UN continues to support efforts to end impunity in the DRC, Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan and other nations. In North Kivu, the Public Prosecutor’s Office expanded in June, with UN support, into the Peace Court of Goma.
Mr. Sheka, now 47, continues his life sentence in a facility in the capital, Kinshasa.
“The fact that Sheka was tried and sentenced is proof that the rule of law exists and that you cannot remain unpunished when you have committed the gravest, most abominable crimes,” Colonel Ndaka said. “Congolese justice could do it, with will, determination, and means. It was able to do it, and it did it.”
UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and MONUSCO set apart demobilized child soldiers as the Mai-Mai militia surrenders itself to Congolese Government forces. (file)
“For three months now, the people of Sudan have endured unspeakable suffering amid violence that is tearing their country apart,” Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.
“As the conflict enters its fourth month, the battle lines are hardening, making it ever more difficult to reach the millions of people who need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he added.
More than 3 million people have been displaced due to the conflict both within Sudan and across its borders; the fighting, which broke out in mid-April has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people and injured over 12,000, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Health workers and facilities have also been attacked, severely limiting access for those in need, and with the onset of the rainy season, there is an increased risk of outbreaks of water- and vector-borne diseases, compounded by challenges in waste management and shortages of supplies.
Children are among the worst affected, with an estimated 13.6 million – roughly half the number remaining in Sudan – in urgent need of assistance.
‘World’s most difficult place’
Describing Sudan as “one of the world’s most difficult places for humanitarian workers to operate,” Mr. Griffiths emphasized the collaborative efforts of local organizations and international aid groups in delivering life-saving supplies.
However, that work cannot be carried out when relief workers themselves, are at risk.
“But we cannot work under the barrel of a gun. We cannot replenish stores of food, water and medicine if brazen looting of these stocks continues. We cannot deliver if our staff are prevented from reaching people in need.”
He underlined that ultimately, the suffering of Sudanese people will end only when the fighting stops, and called on the parties to the conflict to abide by the Declaration of Commitments they signed in Jeddah to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law.
Each day ‘the misery deepens’
Each day the fighting continues, the misery deepens for Sudanese civilians
“Each day the fighting continues, the misery deepens for Sudanese civilians […] We must all redouble our efforts to ensure that the conflict in Sudan does not spiral into a brutal and interminable civil war with grave consequences for the region,” the UN official stressed.
“The people of Sudan cannot afford to wait,” he concluded.
“Every new wave of warfare brings with it a rising tide of human tragedy, including new waves of war’s oldest, most silenced and least condemned crime,” she said.
The Council meeting to examine implementation of its resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence was convened by the United Kingdom, which holds the rotating presidency this month.
Meetings survivors in DRC
Ms. Patten presented data from her latest report, published last month, which documented 2,455 UN-verified cases of wartime rape committed during 2022. Women and girls accounted for 94 per cent, with six per cent against men and boys.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was again the country with the highest number of cases, 701. The UN expert visited the country in June and was horrified by the testimonies of women and girls, many of whom had been very recently raped.
“So many of them stressed the daily risk of sexual violence while carrying out livelihood activities around the camps, such as searching for food, collecting wood or water. Just imagine facing the reality each day that you are likely to be raped, yet having no choice,” she said.
Visit to Ukraine
Ms. Patten also conducted her first field visit to Ukraine last year. She was struck by both the occurrence of sexual violence in conflict zones and the vulnerability of women and children forced to flee to countries such as Poland and Moldova.
“I witnessed first-hand the extraordinary toll on women, children and the elderly, including their vulnerability to unscrupulous individuals and criminal networks for whom the rapid and unprecedented mass displacement of people is not a tragedy but an opportunity for trafficking and sexual exploitation,” she said.
Impunity going unpunished
Ms. Patten’s annual report also detailed horrors committed in other countries, such as Haiti, Ethiopia and Iraq. Serious allegations of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan have also surfaced since fighting erupted in April.
The report also clearly demonstrates the emboldening effects of impunity, she said. Nearly 50 parties, mostly non-State actors, are listed for systematically committing sexual violence. More than 70 per cent have appeared on the list for five years or more.
“The reality is that until we effectively raise the cost and consequences for committing, commanding or condoning sexual violence, we will never stem the tide of such violations,” she said.
Resolve and resources
Ms. Patten called for greater political resolve and resources. She said there is more knowledge today about what motivates sexual violence, who the perpetrators are, and the response required by survivors.
It is essential that prevention efforts are grounded in this enhanced knowledge, she said, which is at the heart of a strategy launched by her office last September.
She advised that the international community must ensure implementation of Security Council resolutions while adapting actions to today’s conflicts and emerging global challenges, such as cyber threats and climate-related insecurity.
“The time is now to double down on the institutional and accountability frameworks put in place by successive resolutions,” she said. “We must act urgently, and with sustained resolve, to save succeeding generations from this scourge.”
Mr. Guterres offered his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed hopes for a speedy recovery to the dozens who were injured, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement issued that day.
The Sudanese army and rival military group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been battling since mid-April. Hundreds of people have been killed and nearly three million have been displaced, including to neighbouring countries.
Mr. Haq said the Secretary-General was appalled by reports of large-scale violence and casualties across Darfur.
Civil war fears
“He is also concerned about reports of renewed fighting in North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing,” he added.
The UN chief remains deeply concerned that the ongoing war between the sides has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region.
Mr. Guterres reiterated his call for the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to cease fighting and commit to a durable cessation of hostilities.
“He also urges these parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and to enable humanitarian action,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the UN continues to push for the cohesion of international efforts under the auspices of the African Union, and welcomes the strong engagement of the East African bloc IGAD.
