The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has declared that “condemnation alone is not enough” as it called on the United Nations Security Council to move beyond statements and take “decisive action” to end Sudan’s devastating war. It insisted that the time for international intervention “anchored in justice, accountability, and reconstruction is now.”

In a reaction statement signed by its general secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, the African regional body said it had taken note of the UN Security Council briefing on Sudan held on February 19, stressing that the Council’s deliberations confirm the conclusions reached during ITUC-Africa’s high-level solidarity mission to Sudan in January 2026.

ITUC-Africa said the briefing reinforced what it described as grim findings from the ground. Addressing the Council, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs warned that Sudan has endured “1,000 days of a brutal war that has nearly destroyed the third largest country in Africa” and that “no corner of Sudan is safe from the threat of attack.”

The humanitarian catastrophe, the body noted, was laid bare when Sudan was described as facing “the biggest and the gravest humanitarian catastrophe in the world”, with over 12 million displaced and millions more in urgent need of assistance. Civil society briefer Hala Alkarib further told the Council that “every red line: siege, forced displacement, man-made famine, genocide, mass rape, has been crossed.”

“These statements validate what ITUC-Africa documented on the ground,” the organisation said, citing “systematic targeting of civilians, destruction of livelihoods and infrastructure, gender-based violence, and acts amounting to genocide against vulnerable communities.”

The regional labour body stated unequivocally that “condemnation alone is not enough,” urging the international community to transition “from words to decisive action: enforcing ceasefire efforts, protecting civilians, ensuring humanitarian access, and supporting Sudan’s path to peace, recovery and reconstruction.”

While maintaining a firm stance on accountability, ITUC-Africa welcomed what it described as “the Government of Sudan’s commitment to dialogue, national reconciliation, and political transition.”

However, it cautioned that “there can be no peace without justice.” Echoing sentiments expressed during the Security Council briefing, the organisation insisted that “accountability must apply to all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation.”

“Those who committed atrocities, and those who financed or sustained the war, must face international law. Impunity will only prolong suffering and instability,” the statement read, reiterating that the United Arab Emirates “must be held accountable for financing Africa’s deadliest rebellion.”

Declaring unwavering solidarity, ITUC-Africa affirmed that “African workers stand in unwavering solidarity with the people and workers of Sudan,” adding that “the evidence is clear, the suffering undeniable, and the responsibility shared.”

With Sudan’s war now stretching beyond 1,000 days, the organisation concluded with a stark reminder that the global community stands at a moral crossroads, warning that history will judge whether leaders chose silence and symbolism or decisive action grounded in justice and accountability. (TRIBUNE)

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