Keypoints:
- UN speeches centred on Gaza and global crises
- Sudan, Congo conflicts barely addressed
- Foreign powers steer fragile peace efforts
AFRICAN leaders used the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to denounce global injustices and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, but offered only fleeting references to the brutal wars ravaging Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
During a week of high-profile speeches, Nigerian Vice President Kassim Shettima, Senegalese President Bassirou Faye and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah condemned Israel’s assault on Gaza and urged action on climate change and inequality. Shettima told delegates: ‘The people of Palestine are not collateral damage in a civilisation searching for order. They are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities that the rest of us take for granted.’
Yet, conflicts that have killed tens of thousands across Sudan and eastern Congo barely registered in their addresses. Analysts say this silence underscores a troubling reluctance to prioritise Africa’s own crises on the UN stage.
Sudan’s war deepens humanitarian disaster
Sudan’s civil war erupted in mid-2023 when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) clashed with the national army after years of joint rule. Fighting has since split the country in two and claimed at least 40,000 lives. The army has retaken Khartoum while RSF fighters remain entrenched in Darfur, where aid groups warn of looming famine.
Both sides stand accused by the UN of atrocities and of blocking humanitarian supplies. Earlier this month, a drone strike in the besieged city of El-Fasher killed at least 70 civilians, highlighting the war’s escalating toll.
Congo’s east under siege
In the DRC, the M23 rebel group—allegedly backed by Rwanda—mounted a sweeping offensive in January, capturing key towns in the mineral-rich east. About 7,000 people have been killed and millions displaced or trapped in rebel-held areas.
Despite a Qatar-brokered truce, over 100 armed groups continue to fight in eastern Congo, making lasting peace elusive.
Analysts lament missed chance
‘African countries have stepped back from placing African issues at the forefront of the UN agenda,’ said Chris Ogunmodede, an Africa affairs analyst. ‘On the most important dates on the UN calendar, there is nothing to say about African issues in any substantive way.’
Beverly Ochieng of Control Risks called the rare mentions of Sudan and Congo ‘a missed opportunity’ to draw global attention to worsening humanitarian crises.
External powers drive fragile talks
The diplomatic vacuum has left outsiders leading peace efforts. On the UN sidelines, envoys from the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt intensified negotiations to end Sudan’s war. A Washington-backed deal between Congo and Rwanda is also expected soon.
But these initiatives are complicated by accusations of foreign meddling. The UN says Rwanda supports M23 fighters, while Sudan has accused the UAE of arming the RSF and violating the genocide convention—charges the UAE denies.
‘Outside interests have leverage, and that compels armed actors to deal with peace mechanisms coming from outside,’ Ochieng explained. ‘African institutions do not have as much leverage or the ability to provide incentives for peace and security initiatives.’
Continental institutions under strain
The African Union has struggled to mediate either conflict, raising questions about its capacity to resolve wars on the continent. Ogunmodede noted that African states face ‘the limitations of their own ability to pursue their own international affairs,’ leaving room for foreign powers to shape outcomes.
As the wars grind on, the lack of strong African diplomatic leadership risks prolonging suffering and ceding influence to outside actors. The UNGA’s spotlight on global crises—from Gaza to climate change—offered African leaders a platform. But their silence on Sudan and Congo spoke volumes about the continent’s faltering collective voice.
