Sudan crisis: Amnesty urges Nigeria to push for ceasefire, peacekeeping mission

Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian government to take a leading role in efforts to end the conflict in Sudan by advocating an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of a peacekeeping force to protect civilians.

The organisation made the appeal on Monday in Kano during the presentation of its report on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The event was attended by Sudanese nationals displaced by the conflict and currently residing in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Amnesty International Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the conflict had claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly 14 million people since it escalated in 2023.

Represented by the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, Mr Rafsanjani said the humanitarian situation in Sudan had reached alarming proportions, with thousands of Nigerians and people of Nigerian origin also affected.

He disclosed that at least 3,100 Nigerians had returned from Sudan since the conflict intensified in 2023, noting that most of them were students whose education had been disrupted.

According to him, there are between three and seven million Sudanese of Nigerian origin, particularly from the Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri ethnic groups, many of whom have longstanding family and cultural ties with Nigeria.

Mr Rafsanjani accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing grave human rights violations, including crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during its offensive to seize El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur State.

He said Amnesty International chose Kano for the presentation of the report because of the city’s historical relationship with Sudan through centuries of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic scholarship.

“Nigeria plays a significant role in African politics. We believe that a stable and peaceful Sudan is vital for the prosperity of Nigeria and Africa in general.

“We therefore call for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of a peacekeeping force to protect civilians in Sudan,” he said.

Mr Rafsanjani said Sudan, with a population of about 51 million, was once home to a thriving economy and over 56 universities that attracted students from across Africa before the conflict.

He lamented that the war had destroyed educational opportunities for thousands of students and displaced millions of people.

“This is a tragedy. Since the fighting began in 2023, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly 14 million people have been displaced,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government to leverage Nigeria’s influence in Africa to mobilise diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict before it spreads further across the region.

According to him, Nigeria’s longstanding diplomatic standing and historical ties with Sudan place it in a strategic position to champion peace initiatives on the continent.

” Nigeria has an opportunity to intervene and call for the deployment of peacekeeping troops in Sudan.

“We believe that this is the only way to restore peace in that country. We know the atrocities being committed by the RSF. We know the killings that are ongoing. Enough is enough.

“We all have a responsibility, first as human beings, to ensure that these atrocities end and that those responsible are brought to justice,” Mr Rafsanjani said.