May 25, 2025
A gathering of hope and resistance
Last Sunday, May 18, 2025, Parliament Square in London transformed into a stage of defiance during a poignant peace protest. From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, stories of Sudan’s escalating humanitarian catastrophe echoed against the walls of the British Parliament. Organized by the Sudan Peace Forum, the event underscored the urgent need for global intervention.
Mohamed Momen: “Our colleagues die while the world remains silent”
Mohamed Momen, Communications Officer at the aid organization Save Steps, opened with an emotionally charged speech. “What is happening in Sudan is not a conflict—it is the eradication of innocent lives,” he stated unequivocally. He highlighted the Sudanese army’s widespread use of chemical weapons in regions like Khartoum and the Nile Valley. “Families are exposed to substances that cause generational trauma. Aid workers, like our murdered colleague Rania Osman, pay the ultimate price for their courage.”
Momen referenced a recent attack where Osman, active in a Save Steps field mission, was killed by government-aligned troops. “Her death is no coincidence. The regime seeks to silence anyone daring to expose the truth.” He urged concrete sanctions against generals and their extremist allies. “Every delay in action translates directly into more deaths.”
Abdel-Rahim Grein Adam: “An army that betrays its people”
Abdel-Rahim Grein Adam, Head of the Peace and Democratic Transition Organization, followed with a fierce indictment. “The Sudanese army is no longer a protector—it is a tool of terror,” he declared. He revealed detailed reports of collaborations between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. “They use chlorine gas and other banned agents not as exceptions but as tactics. This is not warfare—this is genocide.”
Grein Adam described how entire villages in the Hamadi region were obliterated by chemical attacks. “Survivors recount parents losing children as they gasped for air. Hospitals have become zones of death.” He demanded immediate designation of the army as a terrorist entity and a freeze on international assets of involved leaders. “Those who look away now become accomplices.”
A moral appeal to the world
The protest emphasized that Sudan’s crisis has dire regional consequences. Speakers pointed to rising refugee flows, destabilization of neighboring countries, and the risk of impunity for war criminals. “If the UN does not act now, Sudan will become a warning of what could happen anywhere,” voices in the crowd asserted.
Five demands for change
The Sudan Peace Forum’s closing statement outlined urgent demands:
- An independent UN investigation into chemical attacks.
- Recognition of the Sudanese army as a terrorist organization.
- Freezing of foreign assets belonging to generals and their allies.
- Establishment of a civilian safety zone under UN supervision.
- Prosecution of perpetrators via the International Criminal Court.
Sources: Save Steps, Peace and Democratic Transition Organization.
Andy Vermaut