Thank you, Mr President.
I deliver this statement on behalf of the Sudan Core Group consisting of Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
We requested this Special Session because the scale and severity of the crisis in Sudan can no longer be met with silence.
The situation in El Fasher is the latest example of a broader collapse. A collapse of rule of law, protection of civilians, and human dignity.
As we have heard from so many speakers today, what we are witnessing is not just a humanitarian emergency, but a systematic assault on civilians, with consequences that extend far beyond Sudan’s borders.
The violence in El Fasher bears the hallmarks of a coordinated campaign against civilians by the Rapid Support Forces. Their advance has been accompanied by credible reports of ethnically targeted killings, systematic sexual violence, and the deliberate use of starvation.
Across Sudan, over 30 million people now require humanitarian assistance. And yet, access to aid is obstructed, and those who try to help are themselves at risk, as we have seen with the appalling targeting of health workers in El Fasher. The scale of need is staggering, but the response has been inadequate.
This Council must not look away. I would hope we can all agree on the need for accountability as well as the end goal of reconciliation. We need an independent account of the past to achieve both these goals. There is no other independent mechanism to achieve that goal.
The key outcome of this resolution is the urgent inquiry to be carried out by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. Its efforts to document and preserve evidence of violations and abuses lay the groundwork for justice. Without it, accountability will remain out of reach, and the cycle of impunity will continue.
We also pay tribute to the Sudanese civil society actors who continue to serve their communities under extraordinary pressure. Their courage and resilience are a reminder of the values this Council is meant to uphold.
Mr President,
The strongest tribute that we can all make to their courage is by adopting today’s resolution by consensus.
Let us send a clear signal that the people of Sudan are not forgotten.
Thank you.