LONDON (CHATNEWSTV) — Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Tuesday declared that “we have not given up on Sudan,” as he opened the London Sudan Conference with a call for urgent diplomatic action and renewed humanitarian support.
“Many have given up on Sudan. That is wrong,” Lammy said. “It’s morally wrong when we see so many civilians beheaded, infants as young as one subjected to sexual violence.”
Speaking exactly two years since the outbreak of war in Sudan, Lammy warned that the international community is at risk of repeating past mistakes. “I fear many onlookers feel a sense of déjà vu,” he said. “Some conclude that further conflict is effectively inevitable. That is not a future we can accept.”
Lammy announced an additional £120 million in UK aid for Sudan, saying the greatest obstacle to peace is not resources, but “lack of political will.”
“Very simply, we have got to persuade the warring parties to protect civilians, to let aid in and across the country and to put peace first,” he said, noting that over four million Sudanese have fled the country.
He emphasized the need for “patient diplomacy” and expressed hope that the conference would yield a common set of principles to guide future diplomatic engagement. “We all want to see Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity upheld… a united state, with functioning institutions.”
Lammy also praised the resilience of Sudanese refugees he met on the Chad border, saying their determination should inspire global action. “They had not given up on their country or the communities around them. For their sake, we cannot resign ourselves to inevitable conflict.”
He acknowledged support from the African Union, France, Germany and the European Union, calling the collaboration a “shared endeavour.”
The London Sudan Conference aims to rally international political and humanitarian support amid warnings that Sudan faces the world’s worst hunger crisis and escalating violence in El Fasher and Zamzam camp.
