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Tag: UN

  • Number of displaced people in Sudan rises to more than 4 million – UN

    Number of displaced people in Sudan rises to more than 4 million – UN

    More than four million people have been displaced since fighting began in Sudan nearly four months ago, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

    “After sixteen weeks of conflict in Sudan, more than 4 million people have been displaced within the country and across borders into neighbouring countries,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the north-eastern African country.

    “Many of those trapped by the fighting have been unable – and in some cases actively prevented – from seeking safety elsewhere,” Nkweta-Salami said.

    “And those that can escape face other dangers: They are vulnerable to abuse, theft and harassment during their journeys to safer areas,” she said.

    In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Edem Wosornu, the director of operations and advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that 1.4 million people fled their homes since June 23 alone.

    “Sudan’s descent into a full- blown humanitarian catastrophe has only deepened,” Wosornu told the council, speaking on behalf of UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

    Wosornu also said that 80% of hospitals across the country are not functioning and that 14 million children in Sudan — half of all children in the country — need humanitarian support.

    War broke out in Sudan in mid-April following a long-simmering power struggle between de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and vice president Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.

    The two generals had originally seized power together in 2021 but then became rivals.

    The fighting is concentrated in Khartoum and the neighbouring cities as well as in the Darfur region in the west of the country.

    The parties to the conflict often fight near residential areas.

    Sudan has around 46 million inhabitants.

  • Niger’s junta rejects diplomatic UN visit over ‘atmosphere of menace’

    Niger’s junta rejects diplomatic UN visit over ‘atmosphere of menace’

    The Niger military junta has stopped  diplomatic attempt to reinstall the ousted president, rejecting a proposed visit by representatives of the West African regional bloc, the African Union and United Nations on Tuesday, according to a letter seen by The Associated Press.

    The letter cited “evident reasons of security in this atmosphere of menace” against Niger, two weeks after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s democratically elected leader. The regional bloc known as ECOWAS had threatened to use military force if the junta didn’t reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday, a deadline that was ignored.

    The NewsGuru.com had reported that the acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with the coup leaders and said they refused to allow her to meet with Bazoum, whom she described as under “virtual house arrest.” She described the mutinous officers as unreceptive to her appeals to start negotiations and restore constitutional rule.

    “These conversations were extremely frank and at times quite difficult because, again, we are pushing for a negotiated solution. It was not easy to get traction there. They are quite firm in their view of how they want to proceed,” Nuland told reporters on a call from Niamey, Niger’s capital.

    ECOWAS is expected to meet again Thursday in Abuja, the capital of neighboring Nigeria, to discuss the situation. Niger’s capital appeared more tense on Tuesday, with security forces checking vehicles.

    Washington’s diplomatic involvement is not meant to undermine ECOWAS efforts, said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. “Unlike ECOWAS, the U.S. has yet to send any intimidating messages despite publicly stating support for the regional body.”

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking to Radio France International on Monday, said diplomacy is the preferred way forward, and he couldn’t speculate about the future of 1,100 U.S. military personnel in Niger.

    “What we are seeing in Niger is extremely troubling and provides nothing to the country and its people. On the contrary, the interruption of this constitutional order puts us, and many other countries, in a position where we have to stop our aid, our support, and this will not benefit the people of Niger,” Blinken said.

    Niger has been a crucial partner to the United States and other European countries, which viewed it as one of the last democratic nations in the vast Sahel region, south of the Sahara Desert, that they could partner with to fight growing jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

    The U.S. has not yet called the junta’s actions a coup, which would mean Niger would stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and other aid. It also would mean U.S. pulling its support for a major drone base it built in Niger to monitor extremists, which analyst Benedict Manzin of the risk consultancy Sibylline said the U.S. would be loathe to do.

    “I understand that reticence … essentially throwing away a $100 million airbase in Agadez,” Manzin said.

    Coups have been rampant in the region in recent years. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have had two each since 2020, and ECOWAS had little influence in stopping them. The bloc’s harsh response to Niger, by imposing economic and travel sanctions and threatening force, is an attempt to change course. But the junta doesn’t appear open to dialogue. On Sunday, it closed the country’s airspace and accused foreign powers of preparing an attack.

    Analysts and diplomats say the window for military intervention is closing and without regional support for the use of force, ECOWAS and others are searching for a way out.

    “A lot of the tough talk from the region and beyond is perhaps more a reflection of how they wish they had responded to previous coups in Mali, Burkina and Guinea,” said Cameron Hudson, a former official for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

    Similarly, Washington and Paris will now have to make their own hard choices about working with junta leaders on counterterrorism or risk ceding hard-won ground to jihadist groups and possibly Russia, he said.

    The junta, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, has been exploiting grievances among the population toward Niger’s former colonial ruler, France. It also has accused Bazoum’s government of failing to do enough to protect the country from Islamic extremists, and has asked the Russian mercenary group Wagner for help. Wagner already operates in a handful of African countries, including Mali, and has been accused of committing human rights abuses.

    “We are always on the side of the good, on the side of justice and on the side of those who fight for the sovereignty and the rights of their people. Call anytime,” Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a 30-second audio statement posted in a group-linked Telegram channel on Tuesday.

    Niamey’s mostly quiet streets have seen pro-junta rallies, anti-foreign rhetoric and residents waving Russian flags.

    The ruling military has called on the population to defend the country. It’s unclear how much genuine support there is for the junta, but it appears to have rallied some civil society and political groups to its side.

    And since there has been no military intervention against the coup leaders, “there is no real reason for them to believe that suddenly this whole thing is going to come crashing down,” Manzin said.

    Boubacar Moussa, a former jihadi fighter who joined a program that encourages fighters to defect and reintegrate into society, said that jihadis in Niger have been celebrating the chaos and greater freedom of movement since countries like France suspended military operations.

  • Humanitarian aid delivery still on in Niger – UN

    Humanitarian aid delivery still on in Niger – UN

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Niger says aid continues to be delivered to people in need amid the uneasy situation in the country.

    UN Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq said this at a news conference in New York on Tuesday.

    “Last week, we and our partners carried out some 200 humanitarian field missions.

    “Food distributions are underway in Diffa, in the east of the country, which hosts internally displaced people, refugees and returnees.

    “Humanitarian agencies are also preparing to distribute cash,’’ he said.

    The spokesperson added that the secretary-general was concerned over the continued detention of President Mohamed Bazoum, the health and well-being of all those detained, and the failure so far to restore constitutional order in Niger.

    He reiterated his full support to the ongoing mediation efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Answering a question on the diplomatic mission and humanitarian access to Niger, he said they were separate issues.

    He, however, noted that whereas there was need for humanitarian operations to be carried out on the one hand, on the other hand, there was the diplomatic mission – about the political process.

    “On the humanitarian side, the secretary-general calls for safe and unhindered access for the UN in the country, as well as the need to guarantee the continued operation of our humanitarian air services to allow the safe passage of humanitarian goods and services into Niger.

    “So that’s what we’re pushing for on that side. On the political side, our Special Representative, Leonardo Santos Simão, is currently in Abuja, Nigeria, where he’s actively engaging with relevant stakeholders.

    “This is part of our ongoing efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis, and he will participate in the extraordinary summit on Niger this Thursday that has been announced by ECOWAS.,’’ he said.

  • Russian attacks continue to affect world’s most vulnerable – UN

    Russian attacks continue to affect world’s most vulnerable – UN

    The UN says attacks against Ukrainian port infrastructure are not isolated and with Russia’s termination of the Black Sea Initiative, are impacting on global food prices and affecting the most vulnerable people.

    Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General Antionio Guterres said this at a news conference in New York on Monday.

    The Danube port of Izmail, in the Odesa Region, was attacked on Aug. 2. The attack damaged facilities storing thousands of tons of food grain.

    “The secretary-general also condemned Russia’s intensification of attacks on Ukrainian ports, calling for the immediate cessation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” he said.

    The Black Sea Initiative enabled the export of millions of metric tons of food from Ukrainian ports, and together with the UN’s parallel accord with Russia on export of food and fertiliser, had been vital for global food security and price stability, including in areas hit hard by conflict and hunger, such as Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

    Denise Brown, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, visited Izmail port on Saturday, three days after the attack.

    “The thousands of tons of grains that were damaged would have been enough to feed approximately 66 million people for a day,” she said.

    “Relentless attacks by Russian forces on grain stores and port infrastructure in Ukraine form an extremely alarming pattern of harm and may constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” she added.

    Meanwhile across Ukraine, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to sound the alarm about the plight of civilians already facing a dire situation, as the intensification of attacks affecting critical civilian infrastructure in the country will likely worsen the humanitarian needs, according to Haq.

    The $3.9 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023 launched earlier this year, aims to reach some 11.1 million people across Ukraine with assistance, according to OCHA

    However as of end-July,  it had only been about 30 per cent funded, impacting humanitarians’ efforts at providing aid to those in need.

  • Lack of transparency a concern in Nigeria electoral processes, other West African countries- UN

    Lack of transparency a concern in Nigeria electoral processes, other West African countries- UN

    Leonardo Simaõ Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) has said lack of transparency, were among the common concerns, leading to a decline in trust in electoral processes in Nigeria and other West African countries,

    Simaõ disclosed  this while briefing Security Council on Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York.

    Simaõ said these challenges should be addressed way ahead of future elections in Nigeria, Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Sierra Leone.

    He, however, commended the countries for embracing democracy.

    The envoy said that they had marked important steps towards democratic consolidation, offering opportunities for citizens to choose their leaders and representatives at the national and sub-national level.

    Simaõ urged ambassadors to pay the “utmost attention” to the situation in Mali, where the mandate of the UN’s peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, was terminated by the Security Council last month.

    “The situation in Mali continues to require our utmost attention. In anticipation of a detailed plan, UNOWAS will play its role liaising intensively with ECOWAS and other partners as the mission is set to draw down until the end of the year,” Simaõ said, adding that he will travel to the country shortly.

    Established by the Council in 2013, following a coup the previous year, the mission’s presence, as of February 2023, stood at more than 15,000 personnel, according to MINUSMA.

    Media reports have depicted a grim security landscape. Over the past decade, Mali and the Sahel region have seen a surge in clashes and attacks by armed groups and terrorist affiliates, with 303 peacekeepers killed, according to the mission.

    Simaõ voiced concerns over the underrepresentation of women in politics and decision-making, emphasising that failing to include women held back sustainable development and denied their basic human rights.

    Calling upon all stakeholders to promote legislation and enforce existing instruments for women’s empowerment and gender equality, he also emphasised the role of youths.

    “With more than 60 per cent of the population being younger than 25, youths are an important group whose voice is not yet fully heard in peace-building efforts,” Simaõ said.

  • UN condemns Russian strikes in Ukraine

    UN condemns Russian strikes in Ukraine

    Senior UN officials on Sunday condemned the deadly Russian missile strikes in the Ukraine city of Odesa which damaged several historic buildings.

    Over the past week, Russia has carried out aerial attacks on Odesa and two other port cities, Chornomorsk and Mykolaiv, since terminating the landmark Black Sea Initiative on grain and fertiliser exports.

    International media reported that at least one person was killed and more than 20 wounded in Sunday’s attack.

    The attack also damaged significant cultural sites in Odesa, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, the first and foremost Orthodox church in the city.

    The Cathedral was founded in 1794 and is located in the Historic Centre of Odesa.

    It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in January and maintained by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, his spokesperson said in a statement.

    “In addition to the appalling toll the war is taking on civilian lives, this is yet another attack in an area protected under the world Heritage Convention in violation of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,” it said.

    Guterres also expressed concern about the war’s increasing threat to Ukrainian culture and heritage.

    UNESCO has verified damage to 270 cultural sites, including 116 religious sites, since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

    “The secretary-general urges the Russian Federation to immediately cease attacks against cultural property protected by widely ratified international normative instruments.

    “The Secretary-General also continues to urge immediate cessation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said.

    UNESCO was deeply dismayed by the attack, which it condemned in the strongest terms.

    A mission will be deployed to Odesa in the coming days to conduct a preliminary assessment of damages.

    The agency said this action follows other recent attacks that impacted cultural heritage in areas of Lviv and Odesa that are protected under the World Heritage Convention.

    “This outrageous destruction marks an escalation of violence against cultural heritage of Ukraine,” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, said.

    She urged Russia to take meaningful action to comply with its obligations under international law, including with regard to the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.

    Furthermore, the attacks contradict recent statements by Russian authorities concerning precautions taken to spare World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including their buffer zones, the agency said, adding that intentional destruction of cultural sites may amount to a war crime.

    In response to the war, UNESCO is working to promote the protection of cultural institutions in Ukraine, along with other actions such as denouncing violence against journalists and supporting the maintenance of education.

    Azoulay was in Odesa in April where she met with World Heritage site managers and stakeholders from the cultural sector.

    She took stock of emergency actions by UNESCO to protect cultural heritage threatened by the conflict.

    Speaking at the time, she said nearly seven billion dollars would be required over the next decade to rebuild the cultural sector in Ukraine.

     

  • EU, Tunisia sign deal to fight illegal migration

    EU, Tunisia sign deal to fight illegal migration

    European Union wishes to negotiate with Egypt and Morocco partnerships similar to the one it has just concluded with Tunisia, relating in particular to the fight against irregular immigration, a European source said on Monday.

    The EU and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding in Tunis on Sunday for a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, which also concerns the country’s economic development and renewable energies.

    On the migratory aspect, it provides for European aid of 105 million euros intended to prevent the departure of migrant boats to the EU from the Tunisian coasts and to fight against smugglers. But also to facilitate the return to this country of Tunisians who are in an irregular situation in the EU, as well as the return from Tunisia to their countries of origin of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted the partnership to be a model for future agreements with countries in the region.

    Egypt and Morocco are two countries that could be affected, said a senior European official speaking on condition of anonymity, stressing the benefits of this type of partnership for both sides of the Mediterranean.

    But this agreement with Tunis has also drawn criticism because of the treatment of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa by the authorities of this Maghreb country.

    Hundreds of migrants were arrested in Tunisia and then “deported”, according to NGOs, to inhospitable areas on the borders with Algeria and Libya. Women and children are abandoned in the middle of the desert without water, food or shelter, according to testimonies collected by telephone by the media and videos sent to NGOs in Tunisia.

    It is “not about signing a check” to the Tunisian authorities, stressed the European official, indicating that the agreement provided for a series of contracts with different actors, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, and the International Organisation for Migration, IOM.

    The memorandum of understanding concluded on Sunday between the EU and Tunisia, in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen, President Kais Saied, but also Italian heads of government Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Mark Rutte, will have to be approved by all. of EU member states.

    While European countries like Italy wanted to be able to send migrants back to Tunisia who had simply transited through that country, Tunis has made it clear that it does not want “to be a country of settlement for irregular migrants”. The agreement therefore only covers the return of Tunisian nationals who are in an irregular situation in the EU.

    The protocol signed plans to devote 15 million euros – out of the 105 million – to the “voluntary” return of some 6,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa from Tunisia to their countries of origin.

    In addition, the EU intends to deliver to the Tunisian coastal authorities eight boats for search and rescue operations and drones.

  • UN official urges international community to address conflict-related sexual violence

    UN official urges international community to address conflict-related sexual violence

    Ms Pramila Patten, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, has called on the international community to address conflict-related sexual violence.

    Patten made the call on Friday while briefing the Security Council at UN headquarters in New York.

    The UN official said the international community should act to protect future generations from the scourge of conflict-related sextual violence.

    “Every new wave of warfare brings with it a rising tide of human tragedy, including new waves of war’s oldest, most silenced and least condemned crime,” she said.

    The council meeting to examine implementation of its resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence was convened by the United Kingdom, which holds the rotating presidency this month.

    Patten presented data from her latest report, published last month, which documented 2,455 UN-verified cases of wartime rape committed during 2022. Women and girls accounted for 94 per cent, with six per cent against men and boys.

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was again the country with the highest number of cases, 701.

    The UN expert visited the country in June and was horrified by the testimonies of women and girls, many of whom had been very recently raped.

    “So many of them stressed the daily risk of sexual violence while carrying out livelihood activities around the camps, such as searching for food, collecting wood or water. Just imagine facing the reality each day that you are likely to be raped, yet having no choice,” she said.

    Patten also conducted her first field visit to Ukraine in 2022.

    She was struck by both the occurrence of sexual violence in conflict zones and the vulnerability of women and children forced to flee to countries such as Poland and Moldova.

    “I witnessed first-hand the extraordinary toll on women, children and the elderly, including their vulnerability to unscrupulous individuals and criminal networks for whom the rapid and unprecedented mass displacement of people is not a tragedy but an opportunity for trafficking and sexual exploitation,” she said.

    Patten’s annual report also detailed horrors committed in other countries, such as Haiti, Ethiopia and Iraq. Serious allegations of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan have also surfaced since fighting erupted in April.

    The report also clearly demonstrates the emboldening effects of impunity, she said.

    Nearly 50 parties, mostly non-State actors, are listed for systematically committing sexual violence. More than 70 per cent have appeared on the list for five years or more.

    “The reality is that until we effectively raise the cost and consequences for committing, commanding or condoning sexual violence, we will never stem the tide of such violations,” she said.

    Patten, however, called for greater political resolve and resources.

    She said there was more knowledge today about what motivated sexual violence, who the perpetrators were, and the response required by survivors.

    It is essential that prevention efforts were grounded in this enhanced knowledge, she said, which is at the heart of a strategy launched by her office in September 2022.

    She advised that the international community must ensure implementation of Security Council resolutions while adapting actions to today’s conflicts and emerging global challenges, such as cyber threats and climate-related insecurity.

    “The time is now to double down on the institutional and accountability frameworks put in place by successive resolutions,” she said.

    “We must act urgently, and with sustained resolve, to save succeeding generations from this scourge.”

     

  • I’m in Nigeria to celebrate my 26th birthday – Pakistani activist, Malala

    I’m in Nigeria to celebrate my 26th birthday – Pakistani activist, Malala

    A Pakistani female education activist, Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja, saying she is currently in Nigeria to celebrate her 26th birthday.

    She held talks on girl-child education with Vice President Kashim Shettima.

    Malala was the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17 and the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate; she is also UN Messenger of Peace.

    The education activist, who was accompanied by UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, told State House correspondents that the visit to Nigeria was part of activities to mark her 26th birth celebration.

    “I am here in Nigeria to celebrate my 26th birthday; since my UN speech at age 16, I have been going around the world meeting girls from different parts of the world and raising awareness about the issues that girls face.

    “We know that there are more than 120 million girls who do not have access to education right now and just as people spoke out about my education I want them to think about the education of other girls as well.

    “ In Nigeria, I am here because girls’ education is important here; it will determine the future of Nigeria.

    “ So, I am here because I want to bring attention to those issues; I am here to speak as well and share my thoughts with the communalities, and also lucky that I was able to meet girls in Abuja.’’

    Malala said she had gone to Borno and met incredible girls, visited their schools and conferred with education activists.

    According to her, it is the work of the education activists, girls, civil society and government that gives hope that there can be a better future and education, especially girls here.

    The activist said that she was excited to meet the vice president who was supportive of her mission.

    “I would ask here in Nigeria that all governments of states; all party members make commitment to ensure that every child in Nigeria has access to a complete education, which includes senior secondary education as well.

    “That every child has access to free and quality education and the second I ask is that we make full financial commitment to ensure that no child is left behind in this country.’’

    Malala said that she had been to Nigeria three times and expressed optimism that the girl-child had bright prospects.

    She lauded the commitment of government and other stakeholders to improving girl-child education.

    “I came here in 2014 to show solidarity to the Chibok girls who had been abducted and I was able to meet their parents as well; I came here again in 2017 and I saw more of the work that activists are doing and I met girls.

    “I am here again and I have seen how much has changed in the past few years and it is because of the commitment of government officials and also the work of the civil society and education activists and the determination of girls.

    “I was able to meet girls and hear from them directly how they are standing up for their rights; they are not remaining silent.

    “They want a better education; they want quality education for themselves; so, that is what gives me hope and that is what brings me to Nigeria, and I think that tells us that the future of Nigeria is bright if you give girls a chance and if you invest in their education,’’ she said.

    On her part, Mohammed said that Malala’s visit was in furtherance of her advocacy for girl-child education.

    She said that by the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, Malala should be an inspiration for relevant authorities to address the challenge.

    “Ten years ago, Malala made her speech at the UN; she is the UN Peace Messenger; this time around you decided on her 10-year anniversary she wanted to make the advocacy for education here in this country.

    “We have large number of out-of-school children; we know that the quality of education in the country; this is an advocacy to an administration that is coming in; that believes in education is an important timing.

    “So, her voice, her inspiration, not just to government, but the rest of society, to governors that we met yesterday, is extremely important as this administration begins its journey of the next four years,’’ Mohammed said.

  • Sudan faces full-scale civil war – UN warns

    Sudan faces full-scale civil war – UN warns

    Conflict-torn Sudan is on the brink of a “full-scale civil war” that could destabilise the entire region, the United Nations warned Sunday, after an air strike on a residential area killed around two dozen civilians.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the air strike in Omdurman, which he said “reportedly killed at least 22 people” and wounded dozens, his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

    Guterres “remains deeply concerned that the ongoing war between the armed forces has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region,” Haq said.

    He added: “There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing.”

    The Ministry of Health reported “22 dead and a large number of wounded among the civilians” from the strike on Khartoum’s sister city Omdurman, in the district of Dar Al-Salam, which means “House of Peace” in Arabic.

    After nearly three months of war between Sudan’s rival generals, the air strike is the latest incident to provoke outrage.

    Around 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict, survivors have reported a wave of sexual violence and witnesses have spoken of ethnically targeted killings. There has been widespread looting, and the UN warned of possible crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.

    A video posted by the health ministry on Facebook showed apparently lifeless bodies after the airstrike, including several women. The narrator says that residents “counted 22 dead.”

    The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF, fighting the regular army, claimed that the strike killed 31.

    Since the war began, paramilitaries have established bases in residential areas, and they have been accused of forcing civilians from their homes.

    Nearly three million people have been uprooted by Sudan’s fighting, among them almost 700,000 who have fled to neighboring countries according to the International Organisation for Migration.

    The UN and African blocs have warned of an “ethnic dimension” to the conflict in the western region of Darfur, where the United States, Norway and Britain have blamed the RSF and allied militia for most of the widespread violations.

    Haq expressed support for efforts by the African Union and East African bloc IGAD to end Sudan’s crisis.

    On Monday leaders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, IGAD members handling the Sudan file, are to meet in Addis Ababa.

    Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have been invited but neither side has confirmed they will attend.

    Numerous cease-fires in the war have been announced and ignored.