Mr. President,
I would first like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee and Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher for their briefings, both of which alert us to the sudden worsening of the political and humanitarian crisis in Sudan, and which calls for a strong response from our Council.
As we have just heard, the capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces marks a new and particularly bloody phase in the conflict that has been tearing Sudan apart since April 2023. It marks the end of a long siege that has provoked a humanitarian catastrophe for nearly a year and a half. France strongly condemns this extension and intensification of the Rapid Support Forces’ offensive in El Fasher.
1/ The urgent priority is to protect civilians. The reports we are receiving of abuses in El Fasher resuscitate the specter of the mass atrocities committed more than 20 years ago in Darfur. Reports indicate atrocities, including summary executions, perpetrated by the RSF in El Fasher and Bara. We urge the Rapid Support Forces to guarantee the protection of civilians, without discrimination, and to respect their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to respect their obligations under Resolution 2736 and the Jeddah Declaration.
France also calls on the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies to demonstrate discernment and restraint in their response in order to spare the civilian populations still trapped in El Fasher.
2/ The humanitarian catastrophe has reached a climax. France condemns in the strongest terms the strike on the Saudi hospital in El Fasher, which has killed more than 460 people, according to a preliminary assessment by the World Health Organization. The perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable, and the Security Council must consider new sanctions.
It is up to the parties to the conflict to ensure safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access to all populations in need, wherever they are, across borders and front lines. France regrets the decision taken by the Sudanese authorities calling for the departure of the Country Director and the head of operations of the World Food Programme. We commend the WFP’s efforts in providing food assistance to civilian populations in Sudan, where famine continues to spread, where 25 million people are in a situation of acute food insecurity. We pay tribute to all humanitarian personnel deployed in Sudan.
France calls for respect and protection of these humanitarian personnel as well as journalists in Sudan, in accordance with international humanitarian law and Council Resolutions 2222 and 2730. France supports efforts undertaken to achieve humanitarian truces, including through the action of the Quad for Sudan.
3/ Thirdly, the war in Sudan has a massive regional impact. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled to Egypt, Chad, or South Sudan, while arms flows are increasing across borders. This crisis is also a serious regional crisis that threatens the entire region.
Mr. President,
The only way to bring a lasting end to the suffering of the Sudanese people and restore peace to the region is to conclude a ceasefire, followed by a peace process that is respected by the parties. France therefore calls on the parties to the conflict to engage immediately and in good faith in direct negotiations to this end. There will be no military solution to this conflict.
In order to enable a ceasefire, all foreign actors must stop supplying the parties, whether financially, logistically, or with militarily equipment. The arms embargo on Darfur, which was unanimously renewed last September, must be respected.
France supports all initiatives in favor of peace in Sudan, in particular the work of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, as well as those those of the Quad, the African Union, and the European Union. We also reiterate our commitment to preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan.
For months, France has been calling for more decisive action by the Council. We must urgently overcome the deadlock and take concrete measures. The Secretary-General’s proposals in terms of protection of civilians must be implemented, humanitarian truces must be concluded, and measures must be taken to enforce the arms embargo and put an end to foreign interference. It is up to the Council to support international efforts to hold the perpetrators of crimes accountable, because impunity cannot be tolerated. Lastly, this Council must be more involved in order to bring about an immediate ceasefire throughout Sudan.
Thank you.