Committee: Security Council
Topic: Situation in Sudan
Country: Kuwait
Sudan has undergone a great deal of turmoil since Omar al-Bashir took over in 1989 and ushered in a dictatorship that would last until he was deposed and arrested in April of 2019. His regime was marked by human rights abuses and economic turmoil, the worst being when the oil rich southern half of the country split away in 2011 and was recognized as an independent state. Despite the intervention of UN peacekeepers since 2005, the conflict has killed thousands. While negotiations between military and civilian representatives have taken place, the state of Sudan is ultimately quite fragile and is desperate for assistance.
The current situation in Sudan is dire. The 2019 revolution threatens an already fragile economy and a transitional government faces many challenges, including an inability for South Sudan to establish a unity government and the need for billions of dollars to prevent the economy from collapsing. Kuwait sympathizes with the population of Sudan, given that they have also experienced a near-collapse due to poor government, when Iraq invaded. Because of this sympathy, Kuwait would support economic and humanitarian aid, including asking the US to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, allowing more financial aid to enter the country. Kuwait also supports healthcare aid, as Sudan has struggled with disease and starvation following years of war.
Kuwait, as a regional partner with Sudan, supports the use of peacekeeping troops to ensure the survival of the legitimate, transitional government. Kuwait believes that once the government is able to establish domestic stability and safety, peacekeeping forces can be withdrawn and can be more focused on helping to train police and maintain a far more subdued presence. Kuwait supports humanitarian aid, in the form of food, medicine, and basic goods to help rebuild the infrastructure after decades of conflict. Kuwait, as a country that is not that far from Sudan, has an interest in seeing that Sudan does not suffer a total collapse. As both countries are producers of oil, Kuwait shares a common economic resource. Kuwait also supports the lifting of sanctions against Sudan and helping to ensure an influx of economic aid to bolster a stable economy.
- Katherine Sundeen
