Barbados Prime Minister Draws UN Attention to Sudan War and El-Fashir Siege
Sudan Events – Agencies
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley warned that borders are closing and geopolitical tensions are escalating, adding that wars are raging in Sudan and Gaza “before our very eyes.” She noted that conflict only became urgent for the West when it reached Ukraine.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Mottley highlighted the plight of hundreds of thousands trapped in the besieged city of El-Fashir in North Darfur, Sudan, as well as the “devastating genocide” in Gaza.
“This is happening right now before our very eyes,” she said, stressing that the greatest crisis undermining global institutions today is the “crisis of truth.” She added: “When trust collapses, news turns into spectacle, and science becomes just another opinion.”
Mottley called for a global reset, starting with a reassessment of whether the world still shares the values of the UN Charter. Alongside multiple conflicts, she pointed to other threats destabilizing the planet, including climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity, mass displacement of refugees, poverty, inequality, and unregulated artificial intelligence.
She argued that the UN’s shortcomings were not due to its design but to member states’ lack of political will to uphold the Charter “and act in the interest of humanity.” She emphasized that the Charter was created to foster empathy, equality, and fairness—values that require preserving a rules-based international order.
Mottley stressed that the withdrawal of one or a few states from this system does not mean it cannot endure. She urged UN member states to honor their commitments and provide the necessary funding to achieve tangible outcomes. “We must understand that we can no longer complain about the absence or behavior of a state unless we are prepared to correct the failures ourselves,” she added.
Meanwhile, El-Fashir has witnessed daily waves of displacement in recent days, as civilians flee the city amid ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), worsening the humanitarian crisis.
According to Darfur24, dozens of families fled the city on Saturday morning, traveling on foot or using traditional transport. Most of them were women, children, and the elderly.
Displaced residents told the outlet that the escalation of fighting and the dire humanitarian situation forced them to leave.
Halima Yaqoub, a mother displaced from Abu Shouk camp, said RSF incursions into the camp earlier this month forced her and her children to flee to the Abu Shouk district. She explained that the insecurity and harsh living conditions had pushed them into displacement once again.
Yaqoub noted that most fleeing families are heading toward Tawila and Kurma, with some walking on foot while others use donkey carts, as their financial means do not allow for other forms of transport.
Yahya Ibrahim, another resident of Abu Shouk, described El-Fashir as unsafe, citing relentless clashes, daily shelling, and a collapse of basic living conditions. He said all essentials of life have vanished from the city, particularly with water shortages and soaring prices, and urged citizens to leave to save their lives.
Similarly, Hafiza Ismail, a mother of two, said civilians in El-Fashir were dying daily either from shelling, hunger, or thirst. “There are constant reports about the dangers of the road between Tawila and El-Fashir these days, but we have no choice but to take it,” she added.
Since August, RSF forces have advanced into several parts of El-Fashir, including Abu Shouk camp in the north. The city has been under heavy clashes and bombardment from artillery and drones since May 11, 2024.
The conflict has devastated public and private water sources, left 95% of hospitals and health facilities out of service, and forced the remainder to operate only partially.
RSF has imposed a strict siege on El-Fashir since April last year in a bid to seize control of the city, the last Sudanese army stronghold in the Darfur region.
