Russia has blocked a UN plan for a ceasefire in Sudan, causing strong reactions from the UK and US. The proposal, supported by the UK and Sierra Leone, asked Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop fighting immediately and start peace talks.
It also called for the protection of civilians, especially in places like Darfur, where attacks have been severe. However, Russia vetoed the plan, stopping it from moving forward, as reported by BBC.
The UK and US sharply criticized Russia’s decision. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the veto a “disgrace” and accused Russia of ignoring the suffering in Sudan. He asked how many more people must die or go hungry before action is taken.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Russia was blocking efforts to help Sudan for its own political goals.
As BBC highlighted, Sudan’s civil war has caused tens of thousands of deaths, forced over 11 million people to flee their homes, and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
Russia argued that the UK was interfering in Sudan without respecting its sovereignty. Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s representative at the UN, accused the UK of using the resolution to push its agenda, a claim he later repeated on social media.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s representative at the UN, Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, said the proposal ignored Sudan’s requests, like condemning the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting the RSF, a claim the UAE denies, and labeling the RSF as a terrorist group. BBC added that both the army and RSF have been accused of serious human rights violations.
This veto shows the challenges of resolving Sudan’s devastating war, which began in April 2023 as the army and RSF fought for power. S
udanese activists and aid workers continue to criticize the slow global response, as highlighted by BBC, while millions remain in desperate need of help.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33elmnzj0po