Will the UN invoke R2P in Sudan?

Geoffrey P. Johnston

The ongoing civil war in Sudan has descended into a conflict characterized by mass atrocities, rape and starvation, generating the worst and most horrific humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Unlike the Israel-Hamas War, which generated tremendous international pressure on the combatants to negotiate a ceasefire, the escalating conflict in Sudan is being largely ignored by the world.

However, the international community has a clear obligation to intervene in the Sudanese conflict and put an end to mass civilian death, widespread sexual violence and suffering.

Responsibility to Protect

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine states that the community of nations has an obligation to prevent mass civilian death. Under R2P, the community of nations is permitted to use all means necessary to save lives, including using diplomacy and humanitarian assistance. And when all else fails, the use of military force is permitted. In short, R2P places the modern concept of human security above national sovereignty.

The community of nations adopted the R2P doctrine at the United Nations World Summit in 2005. And there can be no doubt that the UN would not have embraced R2P were it not for the tireless diplomatic campaign waged in support of the doctrine by the government of Paul Martin, then the prime minister of Canada.

Martin told the Whig-Standard in a 2016 interview that the genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica “woke up the world” as to the moral imperative of preventing mass civilian death. “There’s no doubt, without those (atrocities), we would not have had the Responsibility to Protect,” he asserted.

Mass death and suffering

“Since April 2023, Sudan has endured an unprecedented humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF),” reads the foreword to the executive summary of a December 2024 document issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis,” the BBC News website reported on Oct. 29, 2025.

“Since April 2023, intense fighting in Sudan has led to violence leaving 11 million people in need of urgent health care,” states the World Health Organization (WHO) website. “More than two thirds of all main hospitals in affected areas are out of service, with the ones still functioning at risk of closure due to shortages of medical staff, supplies, safe water, and electricity.”

In addition, the WHO reports that the “disease surveillance system has also been disrupted, posing a serious challenge to detect and confirm infectious disease outbreaks.”

Food Insecurity

“As of September 2025, El Fasher town (North Darfur) and the besieged town of Kadugli (South Kordofan) were classified in Famine (IPC Phase 5) with reasonable evidence,” states a Nov. 3, 2025 report issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

“These conditions are expected to persist through January 2026. Conditions in the besieged town of Dilling (South Kordofan) are estimated to be similar to those in Kadugli town; however, the lack of data prevents IPC classification of this area,” reads ‘Sudan: Acute Food Insecurity Situation for September 2025 and Projections for October 2025 - January 2026 and for February - May 2026.’

“Uncertainty surrounding the evolution of conflict heightens the risk of Famine, particularly in 20 areas expected to receive displaced populations across North, South, and East Darfur, as well as West and South Kordofan,” the IPC report states.

“In September 2025, at the peak of the lean season, an estimated 21.2 million people—45 percent of the population—faced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 375,000 people in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and 6.3 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).”

The IPC is multi-stakeholder initiative that gauges the level of food insecurity and nutrition crises in countries experiencing hunger.

Attacks on women and girls

“UN Women expresses deep alarm and condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the ongoing attacks against women, girls and civilians in and around El Fasher,” reads an Oct. 31 statement issued by the United Nations agency responsible for advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls.

El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State, was under siege by the Rapid Support Forces for more than 500 days, where approximately “300,000 women and girls are trapped, surviving on animal feed and leaves, and facing acute hunger and insecurity,” the statement notes.

According to UN Women, “the takeover of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces marks an escalation from siege to mass atrocity – including killings, rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and abductions of women and girls.”

In addition, UN Women reports that satellite and video evidence reveals mass graves, the destruction of homes, and the desecration of bodies.

“Women and girls are being raped, people mutilated and killed – with utter impunity,” Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated in an Oct. 30 briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

“Yesterday, almost 500 patients and their companions in the Saudi Maternity Hospital were reportedly killed. The latest of countless attacks on health care and yet another example of the depravity with which this war has been fought,” Fletcher said.

“WHO is appalled and deeply shocked by reports of the tragic killing of more than 460 patients and companions at Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, #Sudan, following recent attacks and the abduction of health workers,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, declared in an Oct. 29 social media post.

“Prior to this latest attack, WHO has verified 185 attacks on health care in Sudan with 1,204 deaths and 416 injuries of health workers and patients since the start of the conflict in April 2023,” Dr. Tedros said. “All attacks on health care MUST STOP immediately and unconditionally. All patients, health personnel and health facilities must be protected under International Humanitarian Law.”

In an Oct. 31 post, Dr. Tedros stated that millions of civilians in Sudan are “cut off from health care due to the ongoing attacks on health and block of lifesaving aid.”

Failure to protect

“Amid escalating violence, an estimated 130,000 children in El Fasher, Sudan, are at a high risk of grave rights violations, with reports of abduction, killing and maiming, and sexual violence,” UNICEF warned in an Oct. 31 social media post. “UNICEF calls for an immediate ceasefire for children and safe humanitarian access. This violence must end.”

“The Sudan crisis is, at its core, a failure of protection and our responsibility to uphold international law,” Tom Fletcher told the Security Council. “Atrocities are committed with unashamed expectation of impunity, driven by complete disregard of the most fundamental obligations of international humanitarian law.”

Fletcher also briefed the Security Council on the recruitment of child soldiers and the killing of children in Sudan. “Nearly one in five civilians killed in El Fasher this month were children,” the under-secretary general said.

“Around 90 per cent of children across Sudan lack access to formal education. The war has reversed almost 40 years of progress on child immunization, putting millions of children at tremendous risk of preventable diseases.”

“The world has failed an entire generation,” Fletcher concluded.

Genocide prevention

“We see massive violations of international human rights law, direct attacks on civilians, noncompliance with international humanitarian law, which regulates conduct in relation to hostilities, and that the attacks are largely on civilians,” Chaloka Beyani, UN Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for the Prevention of Genocide, told UN News on Nov. 6.

According to UN News, the Rapid Support Forces agreed to a ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ on Nov. 6, “in the wake of mounting criticism of its fighters’ actions in and around El Fasher.” UN News also reports that RSF leaders “said they would accept the terms of the truce proposed by a mediation group consisting of the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”

However, the situation in El Fasher remains dire.

“Today, traumatised civilians are still trapped inside El Fasher and are being prevented from leaving,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated in a Nov. 7 press statement. “I fear that the abominable atrocities such as summary executions, rape and ethnically motivated violence are continuing within the city. And for those who manage to flee, the violence does not end, as the exit routes themselves have been the scenes of unimaginable cruelty.”

In addition, Türk warned about the deteriorating situation in Kordofan. “Since the capture of El Fasher, the civilian casualties, destruction and mass displacement there have been mounting,” the UN Human Rights chief said. “There is no sign of de-escalation. To the contrary, developments on the ground indicate clear preparations for intensified hostilities, with everything that implies for its long-suffering people.”

“Given the cataclysmic violence in El Fasher, States, especially those who have influence over the parties to the conflict, are put on notice that unless they act quickly and decisively there will be more of the carnage and atrocities that we have already witnessed,” Türk stated. “The Security Council’s arms embargo is clear: the provision of continuing military support to sustain parties committing serious violations must stop.”

Echoing a previous appeal, Türk called for “an immediate end to the violence both in Darfur and Kordofan. Bold and urgent action is required by the international community.”

According to a Nov. 7 social media post by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, “nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since 26 October due to conflict.” Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are fleeing to the town of Tawila, “where humanitarian teams continue to support, but needs far exceed resources.”

On Nov. 14, the United Nations Human Rights Council will convene a special session on the crisis in and around El Fasher.

Ambassador Bob Rae

For the past five years, Bob Rae has served as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Earlier this year, the Carney government announced that Rae will be leaving the UN, and David Lametti will replace him on Nov. 17.

The Whig-Standard recently spoke to Ambassador Rae about the crisis in Sudan.

Why has the UN not done more to protect the civilian population of Sudan?

“The UN, as an organization, has done everything it can within the means that it has been given to try and prevent the level of conflict that has taken over in Sudan and a number of other places,” including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and Haiti, Ambassador Rae replied.

The violence in Sudan is “one instance of the collective failure of the member states of the United Nations to respond adequately to the level of crisis,” Rae acknowledged. “That’s very clear. And, so, yes, that failure has been there.”

Is now the time for the UN Security Council to invoke R2P?

“Absolutely,” Rae replied. “Let’s remember that the concept of the responsibility to protect was approved both by the Security Council and by the General Assembly. And, yes, it was an initiative that Canada was very much a part of, but not only Canada but many countries, and all of the permanent members of the UN [Security Council]. And he pointed out that all of them endorsed “the principle that we have a responsibility to protect:  member states do, individual states do, regions do, and the overall UN system does.”

However, the outgoing Canadian ambassador is well aware of the barriers to invoking R2P.

“We have to recognize that in the current circumstance, I think it’s extremely unlikely that the permanent members, certainly potentially three of them, would agree on the need to move in more dramatically with additional security and additional food to the crisis in Sudan,” Rae said of the Security Council.

You mentioned three powers in the Security Council that would probably be unwilling to invoke R2P. To which three were you referring?

“China, Russia, and the United States,” Rae replied.

“I think the appetite for that level of intervention among those three super powers is not there. And that speaks to the reality of the [R2P] doctrine,” Rae stated.

“Is it a principle that should be invoked? Yes. The question is: why won’t those countries do it? And the answer is: they don’t want to. They don’t want to spend the money. They don’t want to intervene. They don’t want to get that much involved. And in some cases, they have a favourite in the race.”

“I think it’s a sad commentary on the power politics that are now at work in the Security Council,” Rae said. “But power politics have always been at work in the Security Council. And the difficult challenge that the world faces is:  those countries which have the means and the ability to prevent a conflict from reaching the point that it has in Sudan are not willing to do it. And it’s a very sad commentary, but it is also a reflection of the world that we’re in at the moment.”