Heather McPherson Statement on Sudan Humanitarian Crisis and Canada’s Failures

The horrific crisis in Sudan is not simply a humanitarian crisis. It is a failure of the international community, including Canada, to stop the warring parties, despite months of calls from all experts, humanitarians, and Sudanese people that this crisis was worsening. The blood is on our hands – and Canada must take immediate action that it has so far refused to take.

In March 2024, I wrote to three Liberal Ministers about the humanitarian situation in Sudan, urging Canada to take action for international justice against war criminals and lead a diplomatic push for negotiations to end the crisis. In April 2024, the NDP called on the Liberals to accelerate processing of applications for Canadians’ loved ones fleeing Sudan. My NDP colleague Jenny Kwan has done important work to expose the Liberals’ failures to bring vulnerable people safely to Canada from Sudan.

For a decade now,New Democrats have demanded Canada fix its broken sanctions system that allows a Canadian-owned company to export armed vehicles to Sudan from the UAE. The Liberals have refused to act against Streit Group, despite a mountain of evidence that this Canadian-owned company defies sanctions and supplies militias like the RSF, responsible for horrific war crimes, including gender-based violence and crimes against children.

As the crisis in Sudan has worsened, Canada has continued to trade in military goods with the UAE and even deepened trade with the same government sending weapons to the RSF in Sudan.

Canada’s inaction has helped to fuel these war crimes – and it must stop now. Canada should immediately act to investigate and sanction Streit Group. Canada must openly support the ICC’s investigations into Darfur and explicitly state it believes the Court has jurisdiction over atrocities in the region. Canada must ensure that no weapons it sells to the UAE go to the RSF - and if any have been sent to the RSF, then contracts should be immediately cancelled. Finally, Canada must pressure the UAE to end its support for the RSF immediately. Canada must not pick and choose where it will defend international law.