EU and UK Call to Put an End to 'Horrific' Sudan War At London Conference

15 April 2025

Radio France Internationale

The UK led international calls, today, Tuesday, for an urgent end to the war in Sudan, as London hosted a high-level conference marking two years since the conflict began. Britain pledged an additional £120 million (137 million euros) in humanitarian aid, warning that Sudan is now facing the worst humanitarian crisis on record.

The announcement comes amid growing concern over the escalating violence and worsening conditions for millions caught in the crossfire.

The European Union and member states also pledged over 522 million euros to address the crisis.

The UK is for 600,000 people and comes on the back of a 113 million pounds - 130 million euros - aid package announced last November.

Britain's government said Tuesday's conference in London is a chance to improve the coherence of the international response to the crisis, rather than mediating directly in the conflict, but Sudanese authorities have criticised the fact the government was not invited for the talks.

"We simply cannot look away," the UK's foreign minister David Lammy said as he opened the talks among counterparts from around 15 countries, denouncing what he called "a lack of political will" to end the fighting.

NGOs call on Europe to act as Sudan war hits grim two-year mark

The war erupted on 15 April 2023 in a bitter power struggle between rival generals leading Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), neither of whom were present at the conference.

More than 13 million people have been uprooted with tens of thousands killed, and both sides accused of committing atrocities.

Lammy said the war had been going on for far too long "and yet much of the world continues to look away."

He added: "We need to act now to prevent the crisis from becoming a full-scale catastrophe, and to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most." In his statement, he also noted that the warring parties had shown "an appalling disregard" for Sudanese civilians.

Britain co-hosted this London conference with France and Germany, the European Union and African Union. But no Sudanese officials were present while Egypt, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the attendees.

This led Sudan's foreign minister to write to Lammy to complain, saying Sudanese leaders should have been invited, while criticising the presence of the UAE and Kenya, which he sees as supporters of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

'Besieged on all sides'

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said Sudan had faced "indifference from the outside world".

"The Sudanese are besieged on all sides -- war, widespread abuses, indignity, hunger and other hardships," he said, warning that "continuing to look away will have catastrophic consequences".

On the eve of the anniversary of the start of the war, UN chief Antonio Guterres had said civilians "continue to bear the brunt" of the war.

Exact death tolls are unknown due to the collapse of the health system, but former US envoy Tom Perriello cited estimates of up to 150,000 dead.

Both sides have been accused of targeting civilians, shelling homes and blocking aid. And some 25 million people face acute food insecurity, and eight million are on the brink of famine.

Sudan's RSF, pushed out of Khartoum, says war is not over

Bankole Adeoye, African Union commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said "achieving peace in Sudan depends on valuing every voice and everyone playing a role in building a prosperous Sudan."

(with newswires)