“Samood” Alliance Calls for Lifting Sieges on Cities, Allowing Humanitarian Aid, and Saving Civilians

The Civil Democratic Forces Alliance “Samood,” led by former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, has warned that the ongoing war and blockade of North Darfur State—including El Fasher and its surrounding areas—as well as South and West Kordofan, have led to a real catastrophe.

In a statement, the alliance said that “hunger and the spread of disease are threatening the lives of thousands of citizens in these states and cities, as both warring parties are using starvation as a weapon to impose dominance.”

The statement accused both sides of the conflict of persistent intransigence in violation of international laws and norms, showing no concern for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people by preventing the passage of aid and imposing fees at checkpoints and borders, which has resulted in severe shortages of food and medicine, increased hardship, and the spread of diseases such as cholera and other deadly epidemics.

It warned that the continued refusal of both parties to allow aid and humanitarian organizations access could lead to famine and the death of thousands of civilians.

The statement stressed that ending the war is the only way to preserve Sudanese lives and urged international actors, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to exert urgent and serious pressure on the warring parties to stop the war and uphold civilian rights as guaranteed by international laws and conventions.

The “Samood” Alliance called for an immediate lifting of the sieges on besieged cities, the opening of routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid, medicine, and food, and for efforts to be focused on saving civilians and highlighting the plight of war victims—drawing global attention to this escalating catastrophe before it’s too late.