Atrocities in Sudan and a Multilateral System in Crisis

An example of the decreasing ability of the multilateral system to respond to crisis is the scale of atrocities in Sudan. Since 2023, Sudan has been subjected to a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group backed by the UAE. The resulting civil war has led to famine, genocide, and 150,000+ people dead and 12 million people displaced. Despite the scale of the crisis, responses have been slow and limited. An increase in arms shipments from the UAE led to a spike in RSF atrocities, yet few countries have placed sanctions on the UAE officials responsible or stopped the flow of weapons. A gutting of programs previously funded by USAID has severely restricted the ability of humanitarian organizations to respond to the famine. And institutions working on accountability—including the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan and the ICC—are facing budget cuts and politically motivated attacks. This panel will look at legal and policy approaches to end the conflict and mitigate harm. Solutions explored will include recognizing aiding and abetting liability to hold the UAE responsible for its role in Sudan and building support for documentation and accountability bodies working on Sudan.