One year after a brutal war erupted between rival factions of Sudan’s security forces, France and Germany are leading an international donor conference in Paris on Monday to raise funds for urgently needed humanitarian aid.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell headline the event that will also feature aid groups working on the ground and representatives of Sudan’s neighbours.
A bloody power struggle is raging between the forces of Abdel Fattah al-Burha, an army general who is Sudan’s de facto ruler, and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The two generals seized power in a military coup in 2021, but later fell out over internationally-backed plans for Sudan’s transition to civilian rule. The RSF’s integration into the regular armed forces was an especially contentious issue.
Their violent pursuit for dominance over Sudan has triggered the largest refugee crisis in the world.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates more than 8.6 million people have fled their homes to other parts of Sudan or to neighbouring countries; other estimates put the number at more than 9 million.
The artillery barrages, rocket fire and airstrikes have affected nearly every corner of the African nation, including the hard-hit capital Khartoum. There has been a dramatic deterioration in the humanitarian situation, with famine looming in several regions and severe shortages of medicines and other essential goods.
Amnesty International said last year it had documented war crimes committed by both sides, including mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks and sexualized violence against women and girls.
The Paris meeting will begin with political consultations, at which more than 20 ministers are expected, in particular from Sudan’s neighbouring countries, as well as representatives of key international organizations.