Chadian cart owners transport belongings of Sudanese people who fled the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region, while crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 4, 2023. PHOTO | REUTERS
Sudan’s army chiefs this week responded to mounting humanitarian pressure by reopening a key border point, but then shut the door on dialogue that would guarantee a lasting ceasefire.
The disparate decisions mark the military regime’s latest tactic to portray their rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as troublemakers as the army seeks global recognition as the de facto government.
Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced on Thursday the decision to reopen the Adre border point with Chad, a crucial inlet for aid that had been shut, as the army claimed RSF were using it for arms supplies.
Aid workers in Sudan praised the reopening as a critical move to respond to mounting reports of famine.
“We welcome the Sudanese government’s decision to open the Adre border crossing with Chad for humanitarian aid. With full and unfettered access to this route, we have a chance to contain the famine ravaging Zamzam camp and other parts of Darfur,” said Mercy Corps’ country director for Sudan Sibongani Kayola.
“People are starving—they need food, medical supplies, shelter and other essential services now. This is a critical window of opportunity for the international community to step up and deliver lifesaving relief, but continued diplomatic efforts are crucial, including efforts to remove any red tape that hinders aid once inside Darfur,” said the charity, which often supplies food vouchers to internally displaced people in Sudan.
The move, however, came as Sudan’s military government stayed away from new talks pushed by the US and mediated by Switzerland in Geneva. Meant to start on Wednesday, the army said it was boycotting the talks because “unwanted guests” such as the United Arab Emirates had been invited. But the United States ramped up pressure on the Sudan regime.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Gen Burhan on “the need for participation in on-going peace talks in Switzerland to achieve full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan”.
“He emphasised that the international community has come together in support of these negotiations, co-hosted by Switzerland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to reach compliance with the Jeddah Declaration, a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and establishment of a mechanism to monitor implementation,” said a dispatch from the State Department.
The US has been pushing for an urgent end to the war “and guarantee humanitarian access for the millions of Sudanese who are suffering”.
This was the third time the Sudanese army was walking out of talks after raising an issue with organisers or participants. In January, it stopped cooperating with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), accusing it of favouring RSF. It had earlier walked out of the Jeddah Process, mediated by Saudi Arabia and the US, accusing the RSF of lacking commitment.
This time, Gen Burhan demanded that the Swiss talks follow up on the Jeddah Process commitments, including reopening humanitarian corridors.
The RSF agreed to attend the dialogue without preconditions, according to a statement it posted on X.
But Gen Burhan still accused the group of targeting civilians. In truth, both factions have been accused of atrocities in the 16-month war.
On Monday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) warned that the humanitarian situation in Sudan had reached a “catastrophic collapse” due to the ongoing war.
The IOM’s statement pointed out the “famine, floods and challenges faced by millions of people struggling to cope with the world’s largest displacement crisis, after 16 months of brutal conflict in Sudan.”
It highlighted that “famine has spread in the Zamzam camp near El Fasher in North Darfur, which is home to half a million displaced persons, and the camp is experiencing severe food shortages, leading to increased rates of malnutrition and death”.
At least 10.7 million people have been displaced and are seeking safety within the country. The conflict in the Sennar State alone led to the displacement of over 700,000 people in July.
IOM warned that “over the next three months, approximately 25.6 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity as the conflict spreads”.
“There is no doubt that these conditions will continue and worsen if the conflict persists and restrictions on humanitarian access remain in place,” said Othman Belbisi, regional director of IOM for Middle East and North Africa. “We have reached a breaking point, a catastrophic and tragic point.”
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data, the rapid deterioration in food security in Sudan has led to 755,000 people reaching catastrophic levels (Phase 5), with the threat of famine present in 14 areas.
But Sudanese Minister of Agriculture Abu Bakr Omar al-Bashir denied the reports of a famine crisis in the country, pointing out that a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization two months ago confirmed that Sudan produced more than 3.1 million tonnes of maize, sufficient until the next season.
“The strategic stockpile from the previous winter season was accounted for, and a committee assessed wheat production, concluding that 761,300 tonnes were produced despite the war and the loss of half of the Gezira State,” the minister said.
“Sudan will not face famine, and claims of famine are mere attempts to spread despair,” he said and questioned how surveys were done, considering the RSF had blocked aid workers from accessing their areas.
But this is the first time—according to UN agencies—since the establishment of the IPC in 2004, that Sudan has been confirmed to be in a catastrophic situation.
Unlike the Darfur crisis 20 years ago, the three agencies state that the current crisis affects the entire country, with catastrophic levels of hunger reaching the capital, Khartoum, and the once-prosperous Gezira State.
New data also shows a sharp deterioration in the conditions of Sudanese citizens, compared to the latest forecasts released in December 2023, which indicated that 17.7 million people face acute hunger (Phase 3+ of the IPC).
In Darfur, the situation appears more complex, with increasing numbers of those affected by malnutrition, especially among children. The latest statistics indicate that 5,975 children are suffering from malnutrition in the Kalma Camp in South Darfur.
Adam Rajal, spokesperson for the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced Persons in Darfur, said that conditions in the camps were deteriorating due to a lack of basic necessities such as food, medicine and drinking water. He noted that both sides of the conflict obstruct the delivery of aid to those in need and use food as a weapon of war through starvation and slow death of the displaced.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu has declared famine in areas under its control in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Arno Ngutlo Lodi, Secretary of the Civil Authority of the New Sudan, said on Tuesday in a statement that the wars of June 2011 and April 2023 have contributed to the exacerbation of the crisis in these regions and the current famine.
In spite of staying out of the war, the region has had an influx of internally displaced persons from war-torn regions.
