Sudan conflict: David Lammy ‘horrified’ after meeting with war victims

Every day families flow through dry and dusty roads into Chad, fleeing war and famine in Sudan – a scene that clearly shook the British foreign secretary.

Under a hot sun, David Lammy visited the Adré border post on Friday to witness first-hand the impact of Sudan’s civil war that erupted as the army and its former ally, the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), fell.

Those who cross the border are often separated from their families in the chaos to escape and are desperate to see if their relatives are safe.

“Those are some of the scariest things I’ve ever heard and seen in my life,” Lammy said.

“Overwhelmingly, what I have seen here in Chad, on the border with Sudan, are women and children fleeing for their lives – telling stories of widespread massacres, mutilation, burning, sexual violence against them, their children. Hunger, starvation – a situation that cannot trusted.”

The foreign minister saw dozens of women wrapped in lights, multicolored shawls and holding children of different ages crossing in carts pulled by horses.

They looked bored sitting on bags holding the few things they could carry on the long journey to safety.

“Alhamdulillah” means “thank God”, said Halima Abdalla when I asked her how she felt about crossing the border.

The 28-year-old is relieved despite the tragedy he suffered when he lost one of his children when he fled Darfur, the western region of Sudan, which has experienced some of the worst violence in the last 21 months – many of whom are believed to have. carried out by RSF.

“I first went to el-Geneina, but I had to run back during the fighting there,” she said, explaining how she was later separated from her husband and two children.