European Union Statement Sparks Fresh Public Debate
Report – Sudan Events
The European Union announced that it has dispatched an emergency airlift to deliver humanitarian aid to Darfur, with flights scheduled to continue through this month and into January. In a statement, the Executive Director for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations said the bloc had launched an emergency air bridge to transport humanitarian assistance to Darfur.
She noted that the first flight arrived last Friday carrying around 100 tonnes of humanitarian stockpiles belonging to the European Union and its partner organizations. However, the statement did not specify the airport at which the aircraft landed, despite the fact that all airports in Darfur have ceased operations since the outbreak of the war, with the exception of Nyala Airport and a number of makeshift dirt airstrips.
According to the statement, the air bridge consists of eight flights and includes life-saving medical supplies urgently needed by millions of people in Darfur. The flights are set to continue throughout December and January, carrying water, sanitation and hygiene materials as well as health supplies. The total value of the air bridge is estimated at €3.5 million, funded from the EU’s humanitarian aid budget.
The statement added that the humanitarian situation in Darfur—one of the most difficult places in the world for humanitarian access—has deteriorated sharply since the fall of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October. The loss of the city was described as a major escalation in an already existing humanitarian catastrophe, further compounding access constraints. The statement also quoted civilians who managed to flee as reporting widespread violations of international humanitarian law.
The EU statement has raised numerous questions about the reality of European aircraft landing in Darfur and the airports being used—on the assumption that the intended airports are not necessarily Nyala. If European assistance is reaching Nyala, critics argue, it would effectively mean direct delivery to the militia, implying that the EU is openly supporting the RSF through an official statement. This has prompted questions about why the government has remained silent and allowed what is seen as direct support to the militia to pass so easily. Is an undeclared truce being implemented? What is happening behind the scenes, and why has the government not at least denied the claims made in the EU statement or responded to inquiries sent by Al-Ahdaath to officials’ phones, which reportedly went unanswered?
Ezzeldin, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Mijhar newspaper, said there are “real and legitimate questions” about how an air bridge could be launched from Europe to Darfur airports amid ongoing military operations and active air force sorties. He further asked whether these aircraft would carry only humanitarian assistance, recalling the experience of the “Lifeline Sudan” air bridge implemented in southern Sudan in the 1990s. He concluded by questioning whether what is happening amounts to the implementation of a “Quartet truce” without any formal announcement. He noted that no clear answers have emerged, as those from whom clarifications were sought have avoided responding.
Dr. Osama Hanfi, Professor of Political Science at the University of Sudan, said that if the EU’s account—which he believes is greatly exaggerated—were true, it would raise extremely serious questions. “The arrival of supplies to Nyala, for example, or even to El Fasher, would constitute direct support to the militia and help entrench its presence there,” he said.
He added that the statement referred to large numbers of El Fasher residents fleeing and described their testimonies as horrifying, yet failed to clarify key points: fleeing from whom, fleeing to where, and which party committed the violations against them or prevented some from escaping. “All of these are questions for which I find no logical answers,” he said. “If the army had decided to allow aircraft to land at Darfur airports, what would prevent it from publicly announcing this and presenting its perspective and that of the government? Such a move would inevitably cause significant confusion.”
Hanfi concluded by saying that while he believes the matter is being greatly exaggerated and politicized rather than driven by humanitarian considerations, and while he is convinced that certain actors exploit behind-the-scenes information to divert attention, he cannot understand how European aircraft could enter Sudanese airspace and land at its airports without any official disclosure of their mission. “These are aircraft carrying physical cargo, not documents that can be slipped into a drawer and denied. We expect the government to come forward and clearly explain its position,” he said.
