In a press conference held on Wednesday, the head of the United Nations Mission in Sudan emphasized the need to hold the warring sides in Sudan accountable for their crimes in the ongoing conflict, which has the potential to escalate into a regional crisis.
UN official Volker Perthes, speaking to journalists in Brussels, warned that the protracted fighting in Sudan over the past three months could transform into “an ethnic, tribal, and ideological conflict, much closer to a comprehensive civil war.”
He pointed out that the multiple human rights violations committed, including “killings, rape, and looting,” have created a desire among Sudanese people to rid themselves of the warring generals.
Perthes expressed concerns that neighboring countries might become embroiled in the conflict, cautioning against the Sudan war evolving into a regional conflict and a full-fledged civil war.
He called on countries supporting the warring Sudanese parties to cease their support in order to compel the Sudanese generals to halt the fighting.
In a related development, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on companies believed to be associated with Sudanese military groups behind the ongoing conflict in the North African country.
