Sudan war: Furious row at UN as Russia blocks peace move

Vocabulary: 281, Words: 560

1In a move strongly condemned by the UK and US, Russia has vetoed a draft UK-backed UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Sudan.

2British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the veto a "disgrace". 3But Russia accused the UK of meddling in Sudanese affairs without involving Sudan itself.

4Sudan's 19-month civil war is believed to have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. 5More than 11 million have been forced from their homes.

6Aid workers say the conflict has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with many thousands at risk of famine.

7Sudanese activists have been highly critical of the UN for being slow to respond to the conflict.

8It began in April last year after the army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), began a vicious struggle for power.

9Monday's draft resolution, proposed by the UK and Sierra Leone, called on both sides to immediately halt hostilities and start talks aimed at agreeing a national ceasefire.

10It also called on the army and RSF to respect previous agreements to protect civilians, but specifically mentioned RSF attacks in the western region of Darfur and elsewhere in the country.

11Sudan's representative at the UN said that clauses that it wanted in the text were not included.

12Aside from Russia, all the other 14 Security Council member states voted in favour of the draft, but the veto meant the resolution did not pass.

13"This Russian veto is a disgrace and it shows to the world yet again Russia’s true colours," Lammy told the meeting in New York.

14"I ask the Russian representative in all conscience sitting there on his phone. 15How many more Sudanese have to be killed? 16How many more women have to be raped? 17How many more children have to go without food before Russia will act?"

18US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield was equally outspoken, accusing Russia of obstructing moves "to address the catastrophic situation in Sudan, and playing both sides – both sides of the conflict to advance its own political objectives, at the expense of Sudanese lives".

19But Russia's representative at the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said that Sudanese sovereignty was being ignored, adding that the UK-backed resolution was "an attempt to give themselves an opportunity to meddle" in what was happening in Sudan.

20"Shame on you, the UK!", he posted on X later. 21"For trying to push through a resolution that pours gasoline into [the] Sudan crisis leaving muddy waters for Western countries, that they love so much in former colonies, to push for their agenda."

22Speaking after the Security Council's discussions had finished, Sudan’s ambassador to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, said that certain "prerequisites" were not in the draft.

23He said that Sudan had wanted a clause condemning the United Arab Emirate's backing of the RSF, something which the UAE has consistently denied.

24He also wanted the RSF to be classified as "terrorists... because it wages a war of extermination against civilians".

25Both the army and the RSF have been accused of human rights violations that could amount to war crimes.

26Additional reporting by the BBC's Nada Tawfik in New York

27More about the Sudan conflict from the BBC:

28Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

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from BBC