The government of Sudan says it will pursue the independent UN Sanctions Monitors report pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1591 on Darfur to end the war against the rebel militia.

The ministry of foreign affairs of Sudan made this known in a statement on Sunday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs follows with interest the latest report of the independent UN Sanctions Monitors pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1591 on Darfur.

“Especially, in respect to the war that the rebel militia and its sponsors are waging against the Sudanese people.”

The report, which featured victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by the rebel militia and its allies in West Darfur State alone, amounted to between 10 and 15 thousand civilians, including women, children and the elderly.

It revealed that the continued supply of advanced weapons provided and facilitated by specific countries flown to the militia several times a week violated the council’s resolution.

According to the ministry, such violation of the relevant security council resolutions is what enables the rebel militia to expand its military operations, pursue its atrocities against civilians, prolong the war and widen its geographical zone.

“The rebel militia owns an external elaborate financing network and more than fifty commercial companies in various countries, which enables it to procure weapons to kill the Sudanese people.

“To buy the loyalty of politicians and media people and hire public relations and propaganda companies to try to improve its bleak image in front of the international community.

“The report vindicated the government of Sudan as it has long alerted the international community of dire consequences of inaction, slow response and hesitation in taking decisive measures against the rebel militia in particular.

“Failure to classify the militia as a terrorist group, and treating it the same way as ISIS, Boko Haram, the Lord’s Resistance Army and similar groups, contributes to the continuation of the war.

“This stalls peace efforts, and worsens the humanitarian suffering that is affecting millions of Sudanese within the country and abroad in light of the above.”

The ministry, therefore, called on the international community to prioritise the immediate classification of the rebel militia as a terrorist group and criminalisation of all forms of support to it.

It urged the United Nations Security Council to shoulder its responsibility towards the countries that fuel the continuation of the war in Sudan by providing the militia with advanced weapons, and political and media support.

“As clearly indicated in the report, moreover, these countries must be held accountable for crimes of aggression that are punishable under international criminal law.

“The council should investigate and dismantle the militia’s financial networks and commercial companies, and penalise the public relations and propaganda companies employed by the militia in the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, and as partners in the crimes by the militia.

“The comprehensive and precise implementation of the Jeddah Declaration on Humanitarian Principles signed on May 11, 2023, and the subsequent commitments must be a prerequisite for the commencement of any peace efforts to reach a ceasefire.

“This will deprive the rebel militia the opportunity to manipulate multiple paths of peace efforts, to escape implementing the terms it had committed itself to,” it said. 

(NAN)