Rivers Of Blood - Escaping Darfur

Last night, in the IPU Room at the Palace of Westminster, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sudan and South Sudan formally launched the new report, Rivers of Blood: Escaping from Darfur. The PDF is too large to upload here. If you would like a copy of the report, please leave your email address in the comments and I will send it directly. My remarks are below.

I welcome this report and the powerful testimonies it brings from Darfur. These accounts are devastating, and they must be heard.

But Sudan’s war is not confined to Darfur. Communities in Khartoum, Gezira, the Kordofans and the East are facing the same violence, loss, and displacement. Their voices deserve equal attention.

It is also important to be precise about the role of the Sudanese Armed Forces today. The SAF is now the national army defending Sudan’s territorial integrity, and its actions should not be confused with those of the early 2000s, which operated under a different political leadership and agenda. In the UK, we must avoid applying outdated assumptions that misrepresent the present reality.

We must also ensure we do not appear to stand with one group of victims while overlooking others. All Sudanese civilians — from every region and background — are suffering and deserve recognition, support, and protection.

And we should be mindful of how our focus is understood inside Sudan. A narrow emphasis on Darfur alone can echo the international dynamics that preceded South Sudan’s separation. The UK must avoid unintentionally reinforcing fears of fragmentation or giving weight to divisive narratives.

This report also reinforces the UK’s legal responsibilities under its export controls and the Arms Trade Treaty. The Government must ensure it is not contributing to abuses by urgently reviewing arms exports to the UAE, publishing transparent findings, and applying targeted sanctions where credible evidence shows involvement in violations. If we are serious about ending this war, we must cut the oxygen of armaments that allows it to continue.