European diplomats push for more funding at Paris meet
PARIS: Top diplomats from France, Germany and the European Union (EU) were set to push for more funding for Sudan on Monday at a meeting in Paris to mark the first anniversary of a war that commands far less global attention than those in the Middle East or Ukraine.
The United States, hoping the Paris conference could loosen purse strings elsewhere, planned to announce an additional $100 million in aid.
At Monday’s meeting, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne was joined by his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell and EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic.
At the event, Baerbock said, “The international community has to provide more for the people of Sudan, for the children of Sudan.”
According to Agence FrancePresse, Britain on Monday announced sanctions against businesses linked to the warring parties in Sudan.
“We continue to see appalling atrocities against civilians, unacceptable restrictions on humanitarian access and an utter disregard for civilian life. The businesses that support the warring parties must be held to account, alongside those responsible for human rights abuses,” said British foreign minister David Cameron.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Borrell and Lenarcic at the end of the conference, according to the EU’s external action office.
The war in Sudan broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and paramilitary
Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has devastated infrastructure, prompted warnings of famine and displaced millions of people inside and outside Sudan.
Thousands of civilians have been killed, although death toll estimates are highly uncertain, and each side has been accused of committing war crimes. Both sides have largely denied the accusations against them.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the crisis could worsen in the coming months as the distribution of humanitarian aid and medical supplies remains restricted.
Last week, US Special Envoy Tom Perriello said that the US had already committed over a billion dollars in humanitarian relief to the conflict.
Aid workers say the conflict has led to a catastrophe in the country, with many enduring starvation, sexual violence, large-scale ethnic killing, and executions.