Analysts Criticize African Leaders for Overlooking Sudan and Congo Conflicts at UN

African leaders used the United Nations General Assembly last week to passionately address global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and international conflicts, yet largely overlooked two of the continent's most severe crises in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While condemning Israel's actions in Gaza, figures like Nigeria's Vice President Kassim Shettima, Senegal's President Bassirou Faye, and Namibia's President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah gave scant attention to the homegrown wars that have claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, according to political analysts.

Shettima, for instance, declared that Palestinians "are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities," emphasising the need for global solidarity against distant aggressions. However, this focus on external issues contrasted sharply with the minimal mention of Sudan's civil war, which erupted in mid-2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has partitioned the country, killed at least 40,000 people, and triggered the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with the UN warning of famine due to aid blockades. Recent violence, including a drone strike in El Fasher that killed over 70 civilians, underscores the ongoing atrocities committed by both sides.

Similarly, the DRC's eastern region has been ravaged since January by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which seized key cities in a rapid offensive, resulting in about 7,000 deaths and trapping millions in rebel-held areas. Over 100 armed groups vie for control of mineral-rich territories, exacerbating displacement amid failed ceasefires like the recent Doha initiative. Analysts such as Chris Ogunmodede, an Africa affairs expert with diplomatic experience, criticised the oversight: "African countries have stepped back... there's nothing to say about African issues in any substantive way" during the UN's premier forum.

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The omission highlights deeper challenges, including the ineffectiveness of African multilateral bodies like the African Union, where leaders often fail to lead negotiations. External powers—such as the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Rwanda—dominate peace efforts, with a Washington-brokered DRC-Rwanda deal anticipated soon and UAE involvement in Sudan drawing accusations of arming rebels, which it denies. Beverly Ochieng of Control Risks called the brief references to these crises a "missed opportunity" to spotlight escalating humanitarian disasters. Ogunmodede added that this reflects "the limitations of African institutions and states" in pursuing independent agendas, as foreign actors wield greater leverage through incentives and influence.

As geopolitical stakes rise—with neighbouring countries like Burundi and Uganda drawn into the DRC fray and Sudan suing the UAE at the International Court of Justice for alleged genocide violations—experts urge African leaders to prioritise regional mediation. The UNGA's silence risks further marginalising these conflicts on the global stage, perpetuating reliance on outside interventions amid a humanitarian toll that demands urgent, continent-led action.

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