YouSaid · the spoken record

Perthes

lines on the record: 151
first: 2021-09-14
most recent: 2023-09-13
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The Sudanese people inspired the whole world when they bravely upended three decades of dictatorial rule in 2019. They need our support and solidarity more than ever; they need our support and solidarity in pressuring the military leaderships to end the war, holding them to account and empowering civilians for an eventual transition towards democratic governance. I would like to thank the United Nations staff in the Sudan for their unwavering commitment and dedication in supporting the Sudanese people, and I would like to thank the members of the Security Council for their engagement and support for our work.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“UNITAMS continues to maintain contact with all sides, including through the Permanent Ceasefire Committee for Darfur, and it is supporting Sudanese, regional and international efforts to re-establish peace, because the Sudan cannot and must not endure the costs of the war indefinitely. Let me end on a personal note. I have had the privilege to serve as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Sudan for more than two and a half years. I am grateful to the Secretary-General for the opportunity and for his confidence in me, but I have asked him to relieve me of that duty. This will therefore be my last briefing in this function. I have come to know the Sudan as a country of tremendous potential, indomitable spirit, cultural richness and diversity.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“There is little doubt about who is responsible for what. Aerial bombing, often indiscriminate, is conducted by those who have an air force, which is the Sudanese Armed Forces. Most of the sexual violence, looting and killing happens in areas controlled by the RSF and is conducted or tolerated by the RSF and its allies. Both sides are arbitrarily arresting, detaining and even torturing civilians, and there are reports of extrajudicial killings of detainees. We need to impress on the warring parties that they cannot operate with impunity and that there will be accountability for the crimes committed.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“Those initiatives urge the parties to cease their violence, address urgent humanitarian needs and relaunch a political dialogue. Despite a host of logistical difficulties and security risks, they are intensifying their efforts to coalesce around a common platform. The plurality of the civilian initiatives reflects the diversity of the Sudanese society. They need our collective support and encouragement if they are to establish a common platform. In particular, women-led initiatives have underlined the importance of women’s participation in ceasefire negotiations and any future political process. The United Nations will never stay neutral when it comes to war and human rights abuses. We are on the side of the Sudanese civilians, women and children and the vulnerable populations that are bearing the brunt of the conflict.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“UNITAMS and our United Nations colleagues are documenting those violations and point out that if verified, they may constitute war crimes. I remain appalled by the widespread acts of sexual violence and other forms of violence against women. We need credible investigations, accountability for those crimes and the provision of services for survivors. Sudanese women’s groups are rightly calling for our collective condemnation, as well as for prevention and justice. Despite the lack of the protection of civilians on the ground, Sudanese women and community- based support groups, such as emergency rooms and resistance committees, continue to put their lives on the line to provide urgent humanitarian assistance. Civilian activists, including women, are making laudable efforts in leading several anti-war initiatives. They are choosing peace.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“Let me say, however, that the conflict is leaving behind a tragic legacy of human rights abuses. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians committed by the warring parties constitute gross violations of human rights. The Masalit community in particular has been living in pervasive fear of attacks based on its members’ ethnicity, following the heinous murder of the Governor of West Darfur and other Masalit leaders in mid-June. Hundreds, if not more, have been killed in El Geneina and other parts of West Darfur. The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office has received credible reports of the existence of at least 13 mass graves in El Geneina and its surrounding areas, as a result of the RSF and Arab militias’ attacks on civilians, with the majority of the civilian victims being from the Masalit community.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“In that regard, I would like to commend the armed-struggle movements — both the signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement and the non-signatories that decided to stay neutral and use their forces for the protection of civilians in Darfur. And let me express my appreciation for all those civilians and civilian initiatives that have not taken sides and are advocating for ending the war and working for peace at the local level. Each side is still waiting for the other party to be weakened into surrender. That is futile. The war is destroying the lives of the men and women of the Sudan, violating their basic rights and depriving them of the future they deserve. Since my colleague from the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs will brief the Council on humanitarian developments, I will not go into detail in that regard.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“A durable cessation of hostilities requires political will, robust monitoring mechanisms and the ability to hold the parties responsible for non-compliance. I am encouraged that the African Union and IGAD have harmonized their respective road maps and efforts to facilitate a political solution. I also commend the summit of the neighbouring States of the Sudan and the resultant ministerial mechanism. We still need the regional and international efforts to cohere, though, and the international and regional actors also need to coordinate their ways and means of influencing the parties to accept a sustainable cessation of hostilities. Most important in this context, I urge Member States to halt the flow of weapons into the Sudan and to refrain from resupplying either side.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“But military leaders should not continue to rule the country. International partners, including the United Nations, the African Union, IGAD, the European Union, neighbouring States, Saudi Arabia and the United States — all of us — have continued to press the parties to halt the fighting. UNITAMS has remained in close contact with both sides to urge them to commit to a ceasefire in earnest and move towards a permanent cessation of hostilities. While the Jeddah talks, co-facilitated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, have been formally adjourned, the Jeddah format, which has been accepted by both parties, remains an important avenue for them to reach a ceasefire. However, previous ceasefires have been only partially honoured and have often been used for repositioning and resupply.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“The leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, insist that the conflict is a struggle between the Government, on the one hand, and a rebel force, on the other. We, along with other international and regional actors, continue to speak of the two parties to the conflict, or the two warring parties, that need to end the war. Notably, the two parties constituted what used to be called the military component of the civilian-military partnership under the Constitutional Declaration of 2019. That partnership was ended by the coup of October 2021, jointly undertaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. The onus is on the leaderships of those two formations to stop the fighting. The military leaders on both sides are needed to negotiate and implement a cessation of hostilities.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“As the consultations proceeded, however, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF were irresponsibly building up their forces in the capital while assuring the international community and the Sudanese people of their commitment to peace. Until the last moment, our trilateral mechanism partners and I had warned that it would take only a spark to ignite armed confrontation. And sadly, that is what happened. Let me be clear, for the benefit of history, that regardless of who fired the first shot, both sides were clearly setting the stage for war. The warring parties have chosen to settle their conflict by fighting, and it is their duty to the Sudanese people to end it.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“The framework agreement of December 2022, which had been negotiated by the military leadership and civilian actors without any external presence, outlined the contours of a political agreement to lead the country towards civilian rule. It also stipulated further consultations on contentious subjects, such as transitional justice and security sector reform. Following a request by the military and civilian signatories, the trilateral mechanism composed of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and UNITAMS facilitated those consultations in a series of workshops, with broad participation from across Sudanese society.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“All of those developments add to the risk of a fragmentation of the country. What started as a conflict between two military formations could be morphing into a full-scale civil war. As the war is entering its sixth month, let me take a step back and reflect. The descent into fighting on 15 April could have been avoided if the warring parties had heeded the multiple calls by both Sudanese and international actors for de-escalation and continued with dialogue. Sudanese civilians and the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS), along with our regional and international partners, all made efforts to help the parties resolve their differences through negotiations.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“In Darfur, the violence has worsened dramatically, and the warring parties have demonstrated blatant disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law. Civilians have been targeted on an ethnic basis and driven out of El Geneina and other locations in Darfur. The cross-border mobilization of Arab tribes is further fuelling the conflict and having an impact on regional stability. In South Kordofan and Blue Nile, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North faction, Al-Hilu, has left many people displaced and caused civilian casualties. While the situation is relatively calm in the east, tensions have risen amid ongoing tribal mobilization. The mobilization by former regime elements advocating for the continuation of the war is of particular concern.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“Mr. Perthes: I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the Council once more on the situation in the Sudan. Almost five months have passed since the deadly conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting shows no sign of abating, while neither side appears close to a decisive military victory. Fierce fighting continues in the capital, with the main battles around strategic installations and recurrent attempts by the Sudanese Armed Forces to drive the RSF out of civilian neighbourhoods. At least 5,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict, and over 12,000 injured. Those are conservative figures — the actual number is likely much higher.”
2023-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9417 (2023) · source
“I am very glad that my colleagues, Commissioner Bankole Adeoye and Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, will be briefing the Council and going into more detail regarding the efforts of the trilateral partners, the United Nations, the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The United Nations will continue to work closely with our partners in the trilateral mechanism, including the AU and IGAD, in support of those efforts and coordination with others.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“I note the appointment of Malik Aqar, a signatory to the Juba Peace Agreement and Chair of the recently formed peace bloc, as Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council. Mr. Aqar stated that his overall priority is to reach a permanent ceasefire, end the war and silence the guns. That certainly deserves all of our full support. The regional and international efforts to urgently end the fighting in the Sudan are laudable. As those efforts multiply, we must ensure coordination if we are to forge a common approach that will enhance our collective leverage and the effectiveness of our efforts. Any coordinated plan must involve the Sudan’s neighbours and the region.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Sudanese civil society is playing a strong role in advocating for peace while continuing to support civilians in need, and its efforts must be supported. Both parties have been calling on me to condemn the other side’s actions. I call on both of them to end the fighting and return to dialogue in the interests of the Sudan and its people. Lives and infrastructure are being destroyed. The growing ethnicization of the conflict risks expanding and prolonging it, with implications for the wider region. The agreed short-term ceasefire could and should pave the way for talks for a durable cessation of hostilities. As the talks advance, a diverse array of civil and political stakeholders should play their role. Ultimately, only a credible civilian-led transition can chart lasting peace in the Sudan.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“I continue to urge the parties to honour the agreement they signed two days ago. They must stop the fighting. They must allow access for humanitarian relief, protect humanitarian workers and assets and allow safe passage for civilians to leave areas where there are hostilities. I will also continue to engage the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure while pushing for an end to this war. We are coordinating closely with Sudanese partners working for peace. Let me also commend the leaders of the armed movements that are signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement for their efforts to restore peace and for their neutrality in the conflict.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“The short-term ceasefire, which is expected to enter into force tonight, will remain in effect for seven days and is renewable. It should allow civilians to move and humanitarian access to reach the people. It is a welcome development, though the fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite the commitment from both sides to refraining from pursuing military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect. We understand that a basic monitoring mechanism will be set up between the two parties and the mediators. UNITAMS stands ready to support a monitoring mechanism for the longer term or for a permanent ceasefire. We can build on the staff and on the structures that have been established in the Permanent Ceasefire Committee for Darfur, which UNITAMS has been chairing since mid-2021.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“But it is also essential that the eastern areas of the country — Red Sea state, where Port Sudan is, as well as Kassala and Al-Qadarif — be used both as a point of entry for humanitarian aid and for receiving a fair share of that aid, not least with regard to the increasing movement of displaced persons to that region. Additional funding is urgently needed. The revised humanitarian response plan was launched on 17 May, requesting $2.6 billion for reaching 18 million people in need, up from 15 million before the fighting began. Thanks to Saudi and United States mediation, representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces signed a declaration of commitments in Jeddah on 11 May and an agreement on a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements on 20 May.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“We remain firmly committed to four immediate priorities — first, achieving a stable ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism; secondly, preventing the escalation or ethnicization of the conflict; thirdly, the protection of civilians and provision of humanitarian relief and fourthly, preparing a fresh political process for when the time is ripe, with the participation of a broad array of civil and political actors, including women. Through our hub in Port Sudan, UNITAMS has supported the efforts of our country team and humanitarian partners to restore the flow of humanitarian supplies into and within the country. The United Nations family is doing its utmost to expand our response throughout the country, particularly in areas of acute need.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“We coordinated those efforts with Sudanese civilians, who also tried to mediate between the Generals, recognizing the gravity of the situation. We also asked actors in the region to use their leverage with the two parties. Our efforts continued until the night before 15 April, when we thought progress had been made, only to wake up the next morning to the reality that the parties had chosen war. Unfortunately, the hostilities have compelled us to temporarily relocate many of our staff to Port Sudan or outside the Sudan. Let me be very clear here. That does not mean that we have abandoned the Sudanese people or the Sudan. We continue to work with our Sudanese partners.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Before and after the military takeover of 25 October 2021, we engaged diligently with the two military leaders and with the civilian leadership to persuade them to talk and to return to a meaningful transition to civilian rule through a political process. As the tensions grew amid reports of a build-up of forces, I raised the alarm in my briefing to the Security Council in March (see S/PV.9289) and urged the parties to de-escalate. In the two weeks prior to the outbreak of the fighting, alongside my partners in the trilateral mechanism and the Quad — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom — I intensified our engagement with the military leaders to de-escalate the situation.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Others blame the political process, or the Framework Agreement — which was intended to lead to a civilian-led Government — or the international community, for giving an outsize role in the process to men with guns. But let us be clear. The responsibility for the fighting rests with those who are waging it daily. The leaders of the two sides share accountability for choosing to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the negotiating table. It is their decision that is ravaging the Sudan. And they can end it. What happened on 15 April and has continued since is precisely what the United Nations and our partners in the international community tried to prevent.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“The security situation is impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. I continue to engage with national and local leaders to de-escalate the situation. Worrisome signs of tribal mobilization have also been reported in other parts of the country, particularly South Kordofan and the Blue Nile region. The fighting throughout the country has resulted in serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, and has undermined the protection of civilians. Those violations must be investigated and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. The United Nations family continues to monitor and advocate for an end to all the violations. Some commentators have placed the blame for this conflict on the international community for not having seen the warning signs.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“And I am also concerned about reported death threats against political activists and leaders, the arrests of Sudanese volunteers and the intimidation of journalists. In parts of the country, fighting between the two armies — or the two armed formations — has sharpened into communal tensions or triggered conflict between communities. In El Geneina, West Darfur, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces spiralled into ethnic violence on 24 April. Tribal militias joined the fight, and civilians took up arms to defend themselves. Homes, markets and hospitals were ransacked and burned, and United Nations premises were looted. In mid-May, renewed violence led to more death and destruction. Altogether, more than 250 persons were reportedly killed, and tens of thousands were displaced to neighbouring Chad.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“I am appalled by the reports of sexual violence against women and girls, including allegations of rape in Khartoum and Darfur. The United Nations is following up to verify those cases. The warring parties must prevent any reoccurrence of such violence. Children are facing serious protection concerns and continue to be vulnerable to recruitment, sexual violence and abduction. Reports of rampant looting, intimidation, harassment and enforced disappearance are deeply concerning. United Nations premises and residences, including the compound of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan, as well as large amounts of food and humanitarian supplies, have also been looted. Criminality is compounded by the release of thousands of prisoners and the increasing spread of small arms.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“I am grateful to those countries that are receiving refugees and refugees fleeing the Sudan. It is vital that borders remain open to those who seek safety. Procedures at border crossings should be expedited. The United Nations continues to provide its support to alleviate the burden on neighbouring States and ensure that refugee needs are met with dignity. In Khartoum, Darfur and elsewhere, the warring parties have fought their war with little regard for the laws and norms of war. Homes, shops, places of worship, water and electricity installations have been destroyed or damaged. The health sector is collapsing, with more than two thirds of hospitals closed, many health-care workers killed and medical supplies running low. The frequently reported use of health facilities as military positions is unacceptable.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“According to estimates of the Sudan Doctors’ Union, more than 860 civilians have been killed, including more than 190 children, with another 3,500 civilians injured. Many are missing. More than a million have been displaced. More than 840,000 have sought shelter in safer parts of the country, while approximately another 250,000 have crossed Sudanese borders. And those figures do not capture the harrowing stories of the thousands of men and women who abandoned their homes in search of safety across the borders. Many have waited for days and weeks at border crossings to secure passage. And neither of those statistics illustrate the suffering of many others who could not leave and stay in their homes with depleted supplies and no access to humanitarian assistance.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Mr. Perthes: More than five weeks have passed since the eruption of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the Sudan on 15 April. Despite repeated earlier declarations of ceasefire by both sides, there has been no day without fighting, and neither side has been able to claim a military victory. The agreement on a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements, which was signed two days ago in Jeddah is an important step forward. It offers hope for the civilians and shows that the violence can be ended if both sides comply. I will return to that at the end of my short presentation. The civilian population of the Sudan has already paid a heavy price for the senseless violence.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“The courage and resilience of our Sudanese friends, national staff and partners continue to motivate us. The entire United Nations family will work tirelessly towards ending the violence in the Sudan and restoring hope for a better future. The Organization’s commitment to the Sudan and its people remains unwavering.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The United Nations and our partners are redoubling efforts to ensure that the 72-hour temporary ceasefire holds and evolves into a lasting cessation of hostilities and return to political negotiations. Both military leaders must adhere to the ceasefire and work towards its consolidation into a permanent cessation of hostilities, facilitated by a mechanism. The United Nations is ready to support that. I also call on the Member States with influence on the warring parties to back those efforts. Sudanese national figures including former Prime Minister Hamdok, business leaders, political parties and civil society are mobilizing against the war and urging support for a ceasefire and humanitarian support. I am coordinating closely with them too.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“I am immensely grateful to the Members States who helped facilitate those movements, and we rely on continued cooperation for our remaining relocations and evacuations. Let me be clear: our relocation and evacuation do not mean that the United Nations is abandoning the Sudan. We will continue to maintain our presence in the Sudan, although reduced, and focus on the immediate priorities, in coordination with our international partners. Those priorities are a sustained ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism, a return to political negotiations and the alleviation of human suffering. On a ceasefire, an initiative was launched by the United States, in close partnership with the quad and with us, in the trilateral mechanism.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“This afternoon, I said farewell to 450 of them as they boarded a French frigate that would take them to Jeddah through the night. The rest will be evacuated on commercial vessels in the next two days. A few international staff and their dependents are still in Khartoum and were not evacuated due to various reasons. We are also continuing to ensure that our national staff can relocate as needed to safe areas. Staff in West and Central Darfur have either evacuated or relocated. Other relocations and evacuations are planned or ongoing. The evacuation of personnel from El Fasher in North Darfur has not yet commenced, but options are being considered, with potential Member State support.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The Sudan could become increasingly fragmented, which would have a devastating impact on the region. Even if one side wins, the Sudan will lose. Unfortunately, as we have not been able to secure a sustained pause or ceasefire since the start of fighting, the United Nations took the decision to evacuate and relocate United Nations staff out of Khartoum, Darfur and elsewhere. I am speaking to the Council today from Port Sudan, where many of my colleagues and our non-governmental organization (NGO) partners arrived yesterday on or with a United Nations convoy of nearly 1,200 people, including 744 United Nations staff and their dependents, international NGO staff and their dependents and diplomatic staff from several embassies — all relocated to Port Sudan from Khartoum.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“There are reports of mobilization by some tribes and some armed movements in Darfur who are taking sides. This is dangerous and could draw in the Sudan’s neighbouring countries. I renew my call on all communities to maintain their neutrality and refrain from taking sides. Both leaders have not been able to fully commit to a complete ceasefire or to implement one. The two generals continue trading accusations and issuing competing claims of control over key installations. There is no unequivocal sign that either is ready to seriously negotiate, which suggests that both think that securing a military victory over the other is possible. That is a miscalculation. As fighting continues, law and order will break down further throughout the country and command and control will dissipate.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The trilateral mechanism and the quad were able to negotiate humanitarian pauses twice. Each of those pauses held for only a few hours. On the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, with the support of the Secretary-General, we were able to persuade Lieutenant General Al-Burhan and Hemedti to commit to a three-day pause, from 21 April. That pause allowed some brief respite for Sudanese in parts of the capital and the country. It also enabled the United Nations and its humanitarian partners to relocate its staff out of the immediate lines of fire. However, the pause was not fully upheld, with attacks on headquarters, attempts to gain ground, air strikes and explosions in different areas of the capital. In contrast, locally brokered ceasefires in parts of Darfur and other regions are holding, although they are tenuous.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Both of the warring parties have fought with disregard for the laws and norms of war, attacking densely populated areas with little consideration for civilians, hospitals or even vehicles transferring the wounded and the sick. I urge both sides to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Civilians must be given safe passage to leave areas of active hostilities, and they must be allowed to access supplies. The safety and security of United Nations personnel, premises and assets and of humanitarian and medical workers must be ensured. I have continued my regular contact with Lieutenant General Al-Burhan and Hemedti to urge them to stop the fighting and allow humanitarian pauses.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The fighting in the Sudan has created a humanitarian catastrophe with civilians bearing its brunt. As of this morning, at least 427 people have been killed and up to 4,000 injured. Those figures are conservative estimates, and they are climbing as fighting continues. The humanitarian situation will be covered by Assistant Secretary-General Msuya Mpanju in her briefing, so I will not go into further details. Civil society and grassroots networks have mobilized to fill the response vacuum. Several neighbourhood resistance committees are providing basic health care, or they are supporting the coordination of civilian evacuations from the areas that have been hardest hit. In the midst of violence, the ordinary Sudanese women and men continue to show the power of solidarity and compassion.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Nyala in South Darfur continues to experience fighting, although local initiatives aimed at dialogue have led to relative calm in some localities. In North Kordofan, there has been sporadic fighting in El Obeid. In Blue Nile, intercommunal clashes erupted between Hausa and Funj communities in the absence of security forces. Other regions of the Sudan, while spared from armed confrontation, are feeling the impact of the fighting. Several are now hosting thousands of internally displaced people, yet supply routes are disrupted resulting in fuel shortages. Throughout the Sudan, significant increases in the prices of basic commodities are reported. There are also increasing reports of armed robbers at checkpoints on some roads, looting civilians who are fleeing the violence.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The group of Egyptian forces captured by the Rapid Support Forces, which I briefed the Council on last Monday, were safely handed over to Egypt. The situation in Darfur regions remains volatile. In North Darfur, thanks to a local ceasefire brokered by state authorities and the native administration, with the support of the Permanent Ceasefire Committee chaired by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan, the violence decreased during the Eid Al-Fitr period. The ceasefire has been renewed, and it is still holds. In West Darfur, however, in El Geneina particularly near the Chadian border, fighting has resumed with increased and worrisome reports of tribes arming themselves and joining the fight.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Residential areas near the army’s headquarters and the airport have come under persistent attacks. Homes, shops, schools, water and electricity installations, mosques, hospitals and other health facilities have been damaged or are now fully destroyed. Reports of home invasions and the looting of homes and shops and cars at checkpoints have been rampant. Those have included the homes and the cars of Sudanese citizens, United Nations staff, humanitarian workers and the diplomatic community. We have also received disturbing reports of attempted sexual assaults. With supply lines running out and destroyed, fear of increased criminality is mounting. Reports of prisoners being released from detention centres across Khartoum have compounded those fears. In the Northern state, the control of Merowe airport remains disputed.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“In a positive step, as the Secretary-General has just mentioned, a 72-hour ceasefire was brokered by the United States on 24 April, yesterday. It seems to be holding in some parts so far. However, we also hear continuing reports of fighting and the movement of troops. The Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have both accused one another of violating the ceasefire. In Khartoum, the fighting around the Republican Palace, Khartoum International Airport, the army headquarters, Rapid Support Forces bases and other strategic locations has largely continued or in some cases intensified. Air strikes and heavy shelling have also continued, particularly in Bahry and Omdurman, the two partner cities around Khartoum that form Khartoum together with Khartoum. The Khartoum airport is reportedly now operational, but its aprons are damaged.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Mr. Perthes: I thank the Secretary-General. I am grateful for his words and his support to us on the ground here. Before I begin with my factual briefing, let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the Sudanese women, men and children, including United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers, who have lost their lives or have been injured in the fighting in the Sudan. Since I last briefed the Council on 17 April, my efforts, along with those of Member States and regional organizations, have all focused on securing humanitarian pauses or ceasefires between the Sudanese Armed Force and the Rapid Support Forces. Those efforts have been met with limited success to date, and the situation on the ground has escalated dramatically.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Today Sudanese stakeholders are closer than they have ever been to a settlement and the return to civilian government. The process, certainly not perfect, and occasionally criticized for being too slow, has managed to get a broad and sufficiently inclusive group of stakeholders, particularly military authorities and civilian opposition parties, to near agreement. And as the Sudanese navigate this last hurdle, collective efforts from the international community are needed now more than ever. It is necessary to support the next government with the required capacity to tackle the major issues that have lain dormant: addressing root causes of conflict, implementing security arrangements, significantly improving the lives of Sudanese women and men, and preparing free and fair elections.”
2023-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9289 (2023) · source
“The United Nations, with international partners, is coordinating and jointly planning collective support for the post-agreement transition phase and the Government’s priorities. We have already convened an initial discussion with United Nations agencies, the international financial institutions and donors to support the priorities of an expected incoming Government post-agreement. Allow me to conclude by reminding ourselves of how far the Sudanese have come: when I briefed the Council last year around this time (see S/PV.9006), the trilateral mechanism had just begun the process of shuttling between Sudanese stakeholders. At that time, protests were held every few days, and key actors did not want to talk, let alone negotiate, with each other.”
2023-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9289 (2023) · source
“I also welcome the release of 300 other men, who were detained without charges on the orders of the Governors of North and West Darfur in 2021 and 2022. The authorities must respect the due process rights of detainees and release anyone who was unlawfully detained. The United Nations also continues to work with the authorities and armed groups to ensure the release of children associated with such groups. Over the past two months, 122 children — 92 boys and 30 girls — were released in Darfur. The challenges facing the next Government are immense. Addressing the pressing humanitarian and economic needs, ensuring security, justice and respect for human rights, peacemaking and advancing the democratic transition are all critical demands of the Sudanese.”
2023-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9289 (2023) · source
“The protests against military rule have continued, albeit in lower numbers and with less frequency. While the excessive use of force has decreased over time, a young protester was fatally shot by a police officer in Khartoum on 28 February. The immediate action taken by the authorities to investigate his death and lift immunity from prosecution for the officer was promising. I urge the authorities to make visible progress on investigations into that and other human rights abuses and bring the perpetrators to justice. A court decision on 6 March to acquit and release eight young men accused of killing a military intelligence officer last year was welcome, given the absence of evidence against them.”
2023-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9289 (2023) · source
“In my recent meeting with the Joint High Military Committee, it repeated its call for more international support and for the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan to continue its role as Chair of the ceasefire committees. Humanitarian access is still a critical concern, as are the bureaucratic and administrative impediments that hinder effective operations of the United Nations and our non-governmental organization partners. We remain in continuous dialogue with the authorities to address those concerns, including on the issuance of visas for United Nations staff. Slower responses entail less support, including less timely support, for the people of the Sudan. We also continue our dialogue with the Government on the implementation of the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians.”
2023-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9289 (2023) · source