Biden urges world to 'stop arming generals' in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese queue for water at a camp in the eastern city of Gedaref on September 23, 2024. [AFP]

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged all countries to cut off weapons supplies to rival generals in Sudan, as the UN chief said he regretted inaction in stopping a war that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.

"The world needs to stop arming the generals. Speak with one voice and tell them: 'Stop tearing your country apart. Stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people. End this war now,'" Biden told the UN General Assembly.

The address came one day after Biden met in Washington with the leader of the United Arab Emirates, widely accused of arming the Rapid Support Forces, which the United States says has carried out war crimes against the ethnic African population of Darfur.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking before Biden, voiced frustration at the role of foreign powers in the "brutal power struggle" in Sudan that has "unleashed horrific violence."

"A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads. Yet outside powers continue to interfere, with no unified approach to finding peace," Guterres said.

Biden pointed to US efforts to mediate the crisis. A US-led conference in Switzerland last month led to limited promises by the two sides on aid access.

"The United States has led the world to provide humanitarian aid to Sudan, and with our partners, have led diplomatic talks to try to silence the guns and... avert a wider famine," Biden said.

The United States has quietly pressed the United Arab Emirates over support to the Rapid Support Forces, whose fighters worked with Abu Dhabi in an offensive against Yemen's Iranian-backed Huthi insurgents, according to diplomats.

Biden nonetheless designated the United Arab Emirates as a "major defense partner." Abu Dhabi has worked closely with the United States on other issues and won Washington's praise for the landmark step of recognizing Israel in 2020.

In a joint statement on Monday, Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said they shared concerns about "the risk of imminent atrocities" in Darfur.

They urged all sides to "comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law."

Major humanitarian crisis

Sudan's army has also allegedly received foreign support in its fight against the Rapid Support Forces, including from Iran.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani -- whose wealthy nation has been comparatively less involved in Sudan than its rivals -- called for international efforts to "ensure the unity of state institutions and the sovereignty and stability of Sudan."

The World Health Organization said this month at least 20,000 people have been killed since the war began. But some estimates are far higher, with the US envoy on Sudan, Tom Perriello, saying that up to 150,000 people may have died -- a toll far above that in the more closely watched conflict in Gaza.

The war has also displaced more than 10 million people -- a fifth of Sudan's population -- both within the country and across borders.

A UN-backed assessment has warned of the risk of widespread famine in Sudan on a scale not seen anywhere in the world in decades.