UK rejected atrocity prevention plans for Sudan despite warning of possible genocide

The UK government rejected plans to prevent atrocities in Sudan, including a warning about possible genocide, opting for the least ambitious option due to resource constraints. Six months into an 18-month period, officials chose a plan that involved allocating an additional £10 million to organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross for protection activities. This decision was made despite an internal paper detailing four options for enhancing civilian protection, including an "international protection mechanism." The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El Fasher months after the UK's decision, leading to ethnically targeted massacres, rapes, and thousands of missing persons. Experts argue that the UK's choice demonstrates a lack of priority for atrocity prevention and makes the government complicit in the ongoing violence. The UK's role as a "penholder" for Sudan at the UN Security Council makes its approach particularly significant. A review of UK aid to Sudan found that funding constraints and limited program management capacity... download the app to read more