I thank the Secretary-General and Ms Eltigani for briefing us
today as we pass the harrowing milestone of eighteen months of
brutal conflict in Sudan.
I will make three points on behalf of the UK.
First, we welcome the Secretary-General's recommendations for the
protection of civilians in Sudan. Both warring parties made
commitments at Jeddah to limit the conflict's impact on
civilians.
And yet only this past weekend, we have had further appalling
reports of major attacks in Al Jazirah State resulting in
over 100 civilian deaths, with the Rapid Support Forces allegedly
shooting at civilians indiscriminately, raping women and girls,
and looting and destroying homes.
Meanwhile, aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Armed Forces are
causing large-scale destruction and civilian deaths across the
country.
Alleviating the plight of Sudanese civilians is critical, and we
hope the Council can come together in the coming weeks to agree
further steps supporting the implementation of these
recommendations from the Secretary-General.
Second, as we've heard today, the humanitarian crisis continues.
With famine in Darfur and cholera spreading across the country,
millions are at risk of an early, preventable death.
And yet bureaucratic obstructions continue. Expelling UN staff
and restricting the movements of humanitarian missions, are just
a few damning examples of how life-saving assistance is being
systematically blocked from reaching those in need.
We urge the Sudanese authorities to permanently open the Adre
border crossing.
We reiterate our clear calls to both warring parties to comply
with their obligations under international humanitarian law and
facilitate cross-border and crossline access, across multiple
entry points.
Third President, we call on the warring parties to engage
meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives–including the
efforts of Personal Envoy Lamamra–towards a national ceasefire.
We also call on the SAF and RSF to agree modalities for
monitoring compliance with their commitments made under the
Jeddah Declaration. Civil society and women's participation is
also vital for peace efforts to be fully effective.
In conclusion, coordinated, international action, including by
the African Union and the United Nations, is more important now
than ever. The RSF and SAF must bring an end to the fighting now.
