UN Security Council Draws Red Line on Parallel Rule
Meeting in New York, ambassadors unanimously dismissed the RSF proclamation of an interim authority in the areas it controls. The Council’s press note said the move threatens Sudan’s sovereignty and risks splintering a nation already weakened by fourteen months of brutal urban and rural combat.
Potential Repercussions for Sudanese Civilians
Diplomats fear the creation of rival administrations could deepen violence against civilians, who already face famine conditions in Darfur and Kordofan. Aid agencies report displacement has topped nine million people, the highest worldwide this year, edging the country toward an unprecedented humanitarian breakdown.
Regional Ramifications and African Diplomacy
The Council urged neighbouring states to avoid fuelling the conflict and to back African-led mediation. Addis Ababa, Cairo and N’Djamena have all signalled support for envoy Ramtane Lamamra’s shuttle diplomacy, stressing that a fractured Sudan would reverberate across the Sahel and Red Sea trade routes.
Humanitarian Access Remains Paramount
Resolution 2736 demands the RSF lift its siege of El Fasher and open corridors for food and medicine. Agencies say convoys have waited weeks at checkpoints. “We can halt famine if the guns fall silent,” a World Food Programme official noted outside Port Sudan.
Next Steps on the Road to Ceasefire
Council members called on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF to reconvene in Jeddah under Saudi-US facilitation and craft an inclusive, civilian-led transition. While no date is fixed, regional envoys privately hint that limited confidence-building measures could pave the way for a nationwide truce.