Dutch MP Sarah Dobbe visits Radio Dabanga, urges action to end Sudan war

Dutch MP Sarah Dobbe of the Socialist Party is urging the Netherlands and the wider international community to intensify efforts to stop the war in Sudan, cut the flow of weapons into the country, and hold foreign actors particularly the United Arab Emirates accountable for prolonging the conflict.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga on Monday at the station’s Amsterdam studio, Dobbe met Editor in Chief Kamal El Sadig, and newsroom staff for a discussion on the war in Sudan and the role of independent journalism in documenting the humanitarian crisis.

Dobbe said she is preparing proposals for Parliament to curb external interference. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, she added that the recent surge in global attention on Sudan’s humanitarian crisis should be leveraged to spur concrete action. 

“Fortunately, the situation is changing after a long period of disregard for the war in Sudan and we are now seeing more interest,” she said.

“We must use this interest to assume our responsibilities as politicians as a Dutch government and as an international community to stop this war.”

She urged the Dutch government and international donors to increase humanitarian support as global aid levels decline, stressing that more food and medical assistance are urgently needed.

Dobbe pointed to the role of outside powers in fuelling the war. “We have to address the root causes of the conflict including external factors such as the role of the UAE,” she said.

She questioned whether the Netherlands should continue its large-scale trade with the UAE while it supports the war and atrocities in Sudan.

She confirmed that Parliament will hold a debate on Sudan within the next two weeks, describing it as an important step given how little the issue has featured in Dutch political discussions.

Plans for Parliamentary pressure

Dobbe said she will push for parliamentary proposals that call on the Netherlands to increase diplomatic pressure on the UAE Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and to encourage the European Union to take a stronger position.

The MP criticised Dutch and global media for giving almost no attention to the Sudan conflict.

“The Dutch media must begin to cover this forgotten war,” she said. “If Sudan is absent from the media agenda it will also be absent from the political agenda.”

She praised Sudanese journalists reporting under dangerous conditions and urged international news outlets to support their work.