David McAllister has called on all sides in the bitter conflict in Sudan to do more for peace in the embattled country.
Centre-right deputy David McAllister, who is Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said, “The situation in Sudan remains catastrophic. After more than two years of conflict, thousands of people have lost their lives and millions have been displaced.”
“The continuing violence is inflicting immense suffering on the Sudanese people. It poses a serious threat to the stability and security of the wider region.”
The vastly experience and widely respected German deputy was speaking exclusively to this website in the wake of an EU Council meeting (20 October) where the issue of Sudan was discussed by foreign ministers from each of the EU’s 27 member states.
The MEP said that the Council conclusions “have made clear that the unity, territorial integrity and stability of Sudan are at serious risk, with growing fragmentation along political and ethnic lines. Any attempt to partition the country must be firmly rejected.”
“The responsibility for ending the conflict lies with the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and with those who support them.”
The MEP, who is a senior member of the EPP group, the long-time biggest political group in the EU Parliament, added, “All parties must engage constructively in negotiations towards an immediate ceasefire and a credible, inclusive peace process. Humanitarian access must be guaranteed, civilians must be protected, and there must be a clear commitment to restoring civilian governance and the rule of law.”
The deputy, a member of the European Parliament since 2014 and a member of the Christian Democratic Union in Germany, said, “The European Union has demonstrated its engagement by co-chairing the Paris and London conferences for Sudan and its neighbouring countries and by providing substantial humanitarian assistance.”
A lawyer by profession, he said, the European Union will “continue to be actively involved, working in close coordination with regional and international partners. We stand ready to use all instruments at our disposal to support a peaceful resolution.”
Once seen as a potential successor to Angela Merkel, McAllister has chaired the influential committee since 2017.
He concluded, “The Sudanese people have an inherent right to peace, justice and freedom. Their aspirations for a democratic and stable Sudan deserve the full support of the international community.”
With wars waging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the conflict in Sudan has struggled to make the headlines.
Sudan is in north-east Africa and is one of the largest countries on the continent, covering 1.9 million sq km and borders seven countries; the River Nile also flows through it. Sudan’s Red Sea coast has an important regional trading port, Port Sudan, making it a strategically important for foreign powers particularly for the control of arms shipments. Iran has been accused of using this port to ship drones and other armaments to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Iran’s proxy fighters with Islamist militias such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Ten million people have been displaced and half of Sudan’s population, 26 million people, are struggling with crisis levels of food insecurity. Famine was confirmed in August in Sudan’s Darfur region, which has seen heavy fighting. At least 14 other areas of Sudan are considered at risk of famine in the coming months.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank has called diplomatic efforts to end the war lacklustre, while Amnesty International has labelled the world’s response woefully inadequate.
The 27-strong European Union is co-chair of the Paris and London conferences for Sudan neighbouring countries which follows on from the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its neighbours put on in Paris one year ago by France, Germany and the EU. But General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, has refused to enter into a peace process.
The general has set stringent conditions for peace talks and, while he has engaged with international mediators, such as U.S. envoys, and supported a US-backed peace roadmap, he has publicly rejected other mediation efforts.
In August 2024, the BBC reported that neither side in the conflict showed up for showpiece peace talks in Geneva aimed at ending Sudan’s civil war. Previous peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain had all failed.
General al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto ruler, says that he wants to end the war in his country but he will not sit with his rival general unless he withdraws his fighters.
The International Crisis Group says, “Sudan’s vicious civil war rages on, causing enormous human suffering, wiping away state institutions and exporting instability to an already troubled neighbourhood in the Horn of Africa.”
It goes on, “Despite the obstacles, outside powers, notably Türkiye, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with backing from Saudi Arabia and the U.S. , should lean on the parties to come back to the table and agree to a ceasefire.”
Halting the perceived spread of weapons into Sudan from Iran is seen as another priority.
On this, the respected Arab Gulf States Institute says, “Iran is directly supporting the Sudanese army as it seeks to take advantage of the civil war in Sudan to establish a permanent foothold in the Red Sea. The Red Sea is vital to the global economy, carrying 15percent of global maritime trade and 12 percent of seaborne oil through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.”
Sudanese Islamists have been accused of actively obstructing efforts to reach a ceasefire to end the current war and are said to be cultivating ties with and receiving technical support from the Iranian Government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
On September, Tommy Pigott, deputy spokesman of the U.S Secretary of State, announced new sanctions against those who undermine peace and stability in Sudan, saying the measures seek to limit Islamist influence in Sudan and curtail Iran’s regional activities that have contributed to regional destabilisation, conflict, and civilian suffering.
He added, “Sudanese Islamist elements have a long history as a malign force in Sudan.”
“Recently, Sudanese Islamists have played a key role in derailing Sudan’s progress toward a democratic state,” he added.
