On 15 April 2023, armed clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the regular army in the Sudanese capital Khartoum were reported. Later, the fighting between the military forces spread to other Sudanese regions.

Russia's Veto of UK-Proposed UN Resolution is 'Strong Message of Solidarity' With Sudan: Ambassador

18:03, 20 November 2024

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Muhammad Nooh Osman

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On Monday, a UN Security Council resolution on the protection of civilians in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, drafted by the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone, with the aim to establish mechanisms for the protection of civilians, failed to gain support due to Russia's veto.

Sputnik

Sudan's ambassador to Russia, Mohammed Sirrag, has defended Russia's veto of a recent UN Security Council resolution on the protection of civilians in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

The UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on the protection of civilians in Sudan, including taking all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize harm to civilians, after Russia vetoed the resolution. Russia's veto has been widely criticized, especially by Western politicians and media.

"Russia's veto at the UN Security Council on November 18 against the British draft resolution on Sudan is a strong message of the Russian government's solidarity with Sudan and a message to the international community to respect the sovereignty of countries and not to interfere in their internal affairs and to reject the dictates and imported solutions that some countries try to implement through the Security Council," Sirrag told Sputnik.

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He stated that the resolution's provisions for civilian protection were overly prescriptive and did not address the root causes of the conflict, specifically the ongoing regional support for the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The draft resolution does not respond to Sudanese demands, especially since the protection of civilians primarily requires stopping the UAE's support for the RSF militia, as the continued support and supply of weapons and equipment to the militia through some neighboring countries is the reason for the continuation of the war," Ambassador Sirrag said.

He maintained that the resolution's focus should have been on the full implementation of the Jeddah Agreement, which requires RSF withdrawal from civilian areas.

"Sudan calls on the international community to designate the RSF militia as a terrorist organization for its practices that violate international humanitarian law and all human rights conventions, as it is waging a comprehensive, ethnically motivated war of extermination using mercenaries against unarmed civilians in Sudan," she stated.

The diplomat highlighted the importance of Russia's veto as a testament to its solidarity with Sudan's sovereignty and its commitment to non-interference in internal affairs.

He asserted that prior coordination took place between the two countries regarding the resolution and that Russia's stance has been consistently supportive of Sudan's position in international forums.