Foreign ministers attend conference in London to try to halt Sudan civil war
April 15 (UPI) -- An international summit to try to revive peace talks in war-torn Sudan opened in London on Tuesday, two years to the day since fighting erupted in the Northeast African country between forces of the military government and the Rapid Support Forces, a rival military faction.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he wanted to use the conference, co-hosted by the African Union, France and Germany and attended by 20 foreign ministers as well as major donors and multilateral bodies from around the world, to step up efforts to protect civilians and work toward ending a conflict responsible for one of the worst ever humanitarian crises.
The United Nations and non-governmental organizations said the situation was worsening for civilians who have been largely left to fend for themselves by an international community distracted by crises elsewhere in the world with deadly attacks on refugee camps, the latest atrocity to befall the population.
Tens of thousands are reported to have been killed since the civil war broke out in April 2023 amid violations of international humanitarian law on a "massive scale," said Daniel O'Malley, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Sudan.
"All of the civilian population, irrespective of where they are in the country, have basically been trapped between one, two or more parties. And they have been bearing the brunt," he said.
Lammy said with more than 30 million people in desperate need of aid, at least 12 million people displaced, more than 12 million women and girls at risk of gender-based violence and famine spreading throughout the country, urgent action was needed to figure out how to improve humanitarian access and find a long-term political solution.
"Two years is far too long -- the brutal war in Sudan has devastated the lives of millions -- and yet much of the world continues to look away. We need to act now to stop the crisis from becoming an all-out catastrophe, ensuring aid gets to those who need it the most."
Saying he had witnessed first-hand the warring sides' "appalling disregard for the civilian population," he said the summit would facilitate the international community in establishing a pathway to halt the suffering.
"Many have given up on Sudan -- that is wrong -- it's morally wrong when we see so many civilians beheaded, infants as young as 1 subjected to sexual violence, more people facing famine than anywhere else in the world. We simply cannot look away," Lammy said as he opened the conference.
African Union envoy Bankole Adeoye called for an "immediate, unconditional cessation of hostilities," warning there was no military solution to the conflict. He said following a cease-fire there had to be "all-inclusive" negotiations to achieve a permanent peace -- a dig at the fact neither of the warring parties were invited to London.
"The AU will not allow a Balkanization or partition of Sudan," he said.
The U.N. said Tuesday that than 400 people fleeing the fighting were reported killed at the weekend after RSF troops unleashed ferocious attacks using ground and air forces against refugee camps around the city of El-Fasher in the country's western Darfur region.
El-Fasher is the last remaining regional capital still controlled by the Armed Forces of Sudan, the Sudanese army.
Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said in a report Monday that it had a "high degree of confidence," that RSF had taken control of Zamzam Refugee Camp where an estimated 500,000 people were sheltering as of Sunday, razing the camp in the process.
It said its analysis of satellite imagery and thermal data showed "widespread thermal scarring to 1.183 square kilometers in the camp, including at the camp market, a kitchen operated by an international aid organization, the Sudanese American Physicians Association, and a compound with temporary structures consistent with Internally Displaced Persons."
There has been no response from the RSF.
Medecins sans Frontieres said in a news release that 20,000 people had fled southwest to Tawila, which was overwhelmed, and that it was treating people with gunshot injuries and that children were dying of disease and thirst en route or shortly after arriving.
The BBC said people fleeing the camp had told of being attacked by armed looters in the camp and on the journey to Tawila.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Britain morphing into ‘National Health State', says think tank
Britain is turning into a 'National Health State', a think tank has said after the Chancellor gave the NHS a major funding boost in her spending review. The health service was the big winner of Wednesday's spending review, receiving an extra £29 billion per year for day-to-day spending and more cash for capital investment. Overnight, the Resolution Foundation said Rachel Reeves's announcements had followed a recent trend that saw increases for the NHS come at the expense of other public services. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: 'Health accounted for 90% of the extra public service spending, continuing a trend that is seeing the British state morph into a National Health State, with half of public service spending set to be on health by the end of the decade.' Defence was another of Wednesday's winners, Ms Curtice said, receiving a significant increase in capital spending while other departments saw an overall £3.6 billion real-terms cut in investment. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made similar arguments about 'substantial' investment in the NHS and defence coming at the expense of other departments, although the think tank's director Paul Johnson warned the money may not be enough. He said: 'Aiming to get back to meeting the NHS 18-week target for hospital waiting times within this Parliament is enormously ambitious – an NHS funding settlement below the long-run average might not measure up. 'And on defence, it's entirely possible that an increase in the Nato spending target will mean that maintaining defence spending at 2.6% of GDP no longer cuts the mustard.' Ms Curtice added that low and middle-income families had also done well out of the spending review 'after two rounds of painful tax rises and welfare cuts', with the poorest fifth of families benefiting from an average of £1,700 in extra spending on schools, hospitals and the police. She warned that, without economic growth, another round of tax rises was likely to come in the autumn as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books. She said: 'The extra money in this spending review has already been accounted for in the last forecast. 'But a weaker economic outlook and the unfunded changes to winter fuel payments mean the Chancellor will likely need to look again at tax rises in the autumn.' Speaking after delivering her spending review, Ms Reeves insisted she would not have to raise taxes to cover her spending review. She told GB News: 'Every penny of this is funded through the tax increases and the changes to the fiscal rules that we set out last autumn.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Israel appears ready to attack Iran, officials in US and Europe say
Advertisement Trump waved off another plan by Israel several months ago to attack Iran, insisting that he wanted a chance to negotiate a deal with Tehran that would choke off Iran's ability to produce more nuclear fuel for a bomb. Two weeks ago, Trump said he had warned Netanyahu about launching a strike while U.S. negotiations with Iran were underway. It is not clear how much effort Trump made to block Netanyahu again this time, but the president has appeared less optimistic in recent days about the prospects for a diplomatic settlement after Iran's supreme leader rejected an administration proposal that would have effectively phased out Iran's ability to enrich uranium on its soil. Netanyahu has walked up to bombing Iran's nuclear facilities in the past, only to back off at the last minute. Advertisement Word of the U.S. decisions to withdraw personnel from the region, along with a warning from Britain about new threats to Middle East commercial shipping, came hours after Trump told The New York Post in a podcast released Wednesday that he had grown 'less confident' about the prospects for a deal with Iran that would limit its ability to develop nuclear weapons. American and Iranian negotiators have been planning to meet Sunday for another round of talks, although Trump told reporters Monday that Iran had adopted an 'unacceptable' negotiating position. As of Wednesday, Trump's envoy to the talks, Steve Witkoff, was still planning to attend the negotiations in Oman, officials said. Asked about the reason for the departures of U.S. personnel and dependents from the region as he arrived at the Kennedy Center in Washington for a Wednesday evening performance of 'Les Misérables,' Trump told reporters, 'Well, you're going to have to figure that one out yourself.' The British warning came from a maritime trade agency that monitors Middle East shipping and that said in a public advisory that it had 'been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.' The advisory urged commercial vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to use heightened caution. Iranian military and government officials have already met to discuss their response to a potential Israeli strike, according to a senior Iranian official. The official said that Tehran had devised a response plan that would involve an immediate counterstrike on Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles. In October 2024, a major Iranian missile assault against Israel related to the war in the Gaza Strip inflicted limited damage, however, in part because of U.S. assistance in intercepting the missiles. Advertisement Trump spoke by phone Monday with Netanyahu, but the White House disclosed few details about the conversation. Trump had met on Sunday evening at Camp David with his national security team. Iran's defense minister, Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, raised alarms Wednesday with a warning that, in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, the United States would suffer heavy losses. 'America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries,' he told reporters. Iranian officials also balked at remarks Tuesday by Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the head of Central Command. Kurilla testified before a House committee that he had presented Trump and Hegseth 'a wide range of options' for a potential strike against Iran. Kurilla had been scheduled to testify again Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, but his testimony was postponed without explanation. Iran's mission to the U.N. denounced Kurilla's comments in a Wednesday social media post as 'militarism' that 'fuels instability.' The tough talk came amid a week of meetings in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors. The United States, Britain, France and Germany have submitted a resolution to the agency that would censure Iran for rapidly advancing its nuclear program and violating other commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal brokered with those countries, along with China and Russia. The board is expected to vote on the censure resolution on Thursday morning. Advertisement Censure could be grounds for the U.N. Security Council to restore, or 'snap back,' heavy economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted as part of the 2015 deal, which was struck by the Obama administration. Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from that agreement in 2018, a move that Iran says gave it license to abandon its commitments to limit its nuclear activity. The deal's European parties insist that it remains enforceable through restored sanctions. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on social media on Wednesday that censure 'will compel Iran to react STRONGLY.' The State Department did not provide details on how many personnel would be removed from Iraq, or why. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that nonessential U.S. personnel would be withdrawn from Baghdad, and that nonessential personnel and family members of diplomats had been authorized to depart from U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait. The military dependents authorized to depart the Middle East are largely from Navy and Marine families in Bahrain, home to a major U.S. naval base, a senior Navy official said. Iran's atomic program has progressed dramatically since Trump abandoned the 2015 deal. Analysts say that Iran is now on the brink of being able to manufacture enough nuclear material to fuel 10 nuclear weapons. Constructing a workable device, if Iran chose to pursue that option, could take several more months. But many top Israeli officials already consider Iran's progress to be unacceptable and have openly threatened military action against its nuclear facilities. Many Israeli officials believe they have a golden opportunity to solve a decades-long problem. Israel has recently decimated Hezbollah and Hamas, Iranian proxy groups that Tehran has long relied on as a deterrent to Israeli action. And Israeli airstrikes last year severely reduced Iran's air defense systems. Advertisement Some analysts warn that Iran has been restoring those defenses, making Israeli action against Iran's nuclear program riskier by the week. It is also unclear whether Israel can inflict decisive damage on Iran's nuclear program without U.S. military assistance. U.S. oil prices climbed above $68 a barrel on Wednesday afternoon, their highest level since early April, when Trump placed tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Fighting in the region could disrupt oil supplies, as could tougher American sanctions on Iran. The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson has been in the Arabian Sea for several weeks. More than 60 aircraft are aboard the Vinson, including advanced F-35 stealth strike fighters. The senior Navy official said there were currently no plans to change the carrier's position in response to the developing situation. The United States also has several dozen attack and fighter jets deployed in the Middle East. These aircraft were used extensively to defend Israel from Iranian strikes last year. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Non-essential personnel to leave Middle East amid tensions with Iran
June 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. State and Defense departments on Wednesday are arranging the departure of non-essential personnel from the Middle East amid reports Israel is ready to strike Iran. CBS News reported U.S. anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq, including Baghdad, if Israel hits nuclear facilities. A defense official told CNN that U.S. Central Command is monitoring "developing tension in the Middle East." The Trump administration is continuing to pursue a new nuclear deal on uranium encirclement with Iran, and the war between Israel and Hamas is continuing on the Gaza Strip. Iran is providing support to the militants. Israel, which has opposed a nuclear deal involving Iran, has conducted "countless overt and covert operations" to counter the growth of Iran's uranium enrichment program, according to Prime Minister's Benjamin Netanyahu's office in April. Last month, U.S. President Trump said he urged Netanyahu not to strike Iran during negotiations with the nation. "I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution," Trump said. Trump was asked Wednesday about a heightened situation while arriving at the Kennedy Center event. "They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters. "But they have been or we've given notice to move out, and we'll see what happens." U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents throughout the Middle East. About 2,500 U.S. troops are based in Iraq. "The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, the CENTCON official told CNN. The State Department also is preparing to evacuate non-essential personnel from the U.S. embassies in Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait. Sources told CNN it's because of increased security risks in the region. "President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad," a State Department official said. "In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq." The British Maritime Trade Organization on Wednesday advised ships to exercise caution in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, which are waterways for the global oil trade, because of "increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity." Hegseth told members of a Senate committee on Wednesday that there are "plenty of indications" that Iran was "moving their way towards something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon." Iran has enriched 408.6 kilograms of uranium, or 900 pounds, up to 60% purity - which is very close to the 90% enrichment level required to build a nuclear weapon, the International Atomic Energy Agency estimated two weeks ago. That's a nearly 50% increase since February, the U.N. agency estimated. Iranian leaders have said they won't accept Trump's demand of no uranium enrichment. Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, still plans to meet with Iran for a sixth round of talks. Last month, CNN reported the U.S. had obtained new intelligence that Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Israeli Defense Forces struck military targets in Iran twice in 2024. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran's Defense Minister, Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh said "some officials from the other side have made threatening remarks, warning of potential conflict in case no agreement is reached." He noted the U.S. won't have any choice because its bases are within the reach of the Iranian military and Iran will not hesitate to target all of them in their host countries. In 2015, former President Barack Obama and other nations struck a deal with Iran limiting the scope of the country's uranium enrichment program. But Trump ended the agreement during his first term and increased sanctions against Iran.
