I will make three points. First, the United Kingdom welcomes the
adoption, by this Council, of resolution 2736 which sent a clear
call for urgent de-escalation in El Fasher and demanded that the
Rapid Support Forces halt their siege of El Fasher immediately.
The situation in El Fasher is appalling. Civilians have been
terrorised by systematic attacks including on hospitals, shocking
sexual and gender-based violence, and aerial bombardments. A
full-scale attack on the city would be catastrophic for the 1.5
million Sudanese civilians sheltering there. We call on all sides
to commit to protecting civilians and to abide by their
obligations under international humanitarian law.
Second, our briefers have just described the enormity of the
humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Over two million people are
currently at severe risk of famine. We condemn the deliberate
obstructionism, aid diversion, and continued looting of aid
convoys that prevents life-saving supplies reaching those most in
need. The Sudanese people will move further toward famine if
humanitarian assistance continues to be restricted. We note the
much-needed recent progress on issuing visas and travel permits
and we call on the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately open the
vital Adre border crossing. The United Kingdom further calls on
the warring parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered
access for humanitarian workers across regions they
control.
Third, we welcome the continued efforts of civilian peace
initiatives. The future of Sudan belongs to Sudanese civilians.
For peace to be achieved, the warring parties must accept there
is no prospect of victory on the battlefield, only further
suffering. We call on the warring parties to immediately return
to negotiations in good faith and without preconditions.
President, in closing, the United Kingdom reaffirms its full
backing to Personal Envoy Lamamra and his work to
coordinate regional mediation efforts to restore peace. The
Security Council needs to continue to play its part in supporting
those efforts. Thank you.
