Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

Over the past week, the conflict in Sudan has escalated seriously. The humanitarian situation is even more catastrophic, if it can even get to that level. While the additional funding of €3 million committed by Irish Aid is welcome, we must do more. Mass killings are taking place. There are reports of summary executions. Satellites have picked up large bloodstains on the ground, such is the scale of the slaughter and the bloodshed as the paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, regained control over Darfur in the past few days. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court, ICC, are collecting evidence of alleged mass killings and rapes in Darfur. We all remember the Darfur genocide in 2003 and what we are seeing is history repeating itself a mere 20 years later. We have seen, on both sides, indiscriminate bombing of population centres, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, and summary executions. We have seen horrific crime against civilians.

I worked with Sudanese refugees in northern South Sudan. I know the strength and also the suffering of the Sudanese community living through conflict-enforced displacement for decades. All they want is peace and access to food and clean water but, sadly, Sudan now stands on the brink of famine, with huge levels of forced displacement. Food and medical systems are at breaking point. There has been widespread sexual violence against women and girls. Despite all of this, international action has been almost absent.

Ireland has been a long-standing partner of Sudan since the 1980s. We have a moral responsibility, based on that history, to take more action to end this horrific war.We need to call for humanitarian access to open in Darfur and for sanctions, alongside our EU partners and our closest neighbours, the British Government. Worryingly, there are reports that UK weapons sold to the UAE have been used in the killings in Darfur. We need a critical analysis of the global powers responsible for fuelling this conflict and we need sanctions for those responsible. I call for a debate in this Chamber on what steps the Irish Government can take to become leaders in calling for a ceasefire. As parliamentarians, we have a role to play in having this debate. This is one of the forgotten crises facing the world. We have debates, obviously, on Gaza and Ukraine, which are necessary, but Sudan is one of the most horrific humanitarian crises that we are seeing, yet it gets absolutely no coverage. We in this Chamber having that debate would have a huge impact, both nationally and internationally.