Thu Dec 26 16:44:53 UTC 2024: ## AU Urged to Intervene in Sudan’s Devastating Civil War

**Khartoum, Sudan** – Twenty months of brutal conflict between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged Sudan into a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving millions facing starvation and displacement, and prompting calls for urgent African Union (AU) intervention. At least 20,000 people have been killed, with 25 million – half the population – suffering severe hunger. Over 14 million have been internally displaced, and 3.1 million have fled the country.

Children are disproportionately affected, with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reporting that one in six patients treated for war injuries in South Khartoum between January and September 2024 were under 15. The UN has documented widespread sexual violence, with the RSF accused of committing rape on a massive scale.

Despite numerous peace initiatives by the AU, IGAD, the US, Egypt, and Switzerland, including a Jeddah Declaration committing to protect civilians, the conflict rages on. A US-led initiative in August yielded some progress on aid access but failed to secure a ceasefire.

The UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has unequivocally called for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to protect civilians. However, the Sudanese government has rejected this and similar calls, citing concerns about national sovereignty.

The article argues that the AU, under its Constitutive Act, has a responsibility to intervene in cases of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity – all of which are abundantly evident in Sudan. Continued inaction by the AU, it contends, would undermine its legitimacy and betray the Sudanese people. While acknowledging the logistical challenges, the article stresses that the AU possesses the capacity to make a difference and that Sudan’s crisis represents a critical test of its commitment to peace and stability in Africa. The author concludes that the AU must choose between passive observation and decisive intervention to prevent further suffering and loss of life.

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