UNITED NATIONS, Jun 28 (APP): Pakistan has made a passionate appeal to the warring parties in Sudan to ceasefire
immediately and unconditionally “for the sake of Sudanese people” who have been suffering immensely as the deadly conflict drags on.
“We urge all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said in the 15-member Council’s debate on the situation in Sudan
The Council met as the continuing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) further worsened an already-dire humanitarian situation.
The war erupted between the former allies-turned-rivals — SAF and RSF and their associated militias — in April 2023.
Fertile farmlands have been decimated, famine declared in several areas and critical infrastructure – including hospitals – destroyed or abandoned in the fighting.
Ambassador Jadoon voiced Pakistan’s “deep concern” at the continued suffering of civilians as a result of large-scale displacement, destruction of critical infrastructure, as well as challenges being faced in the aid operations.
“We stand with our Sudanese brother and sisters in this difficult time,” he said.
“The international community must act to seek a peaceful resolution of the crisis to prevent further deterioration of the prevailing grave situation,” the Pakistani envoy said, warning that any deliberate obstruction of humanitarian assistance and attacks on civilians constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law (IHL).
The Pakistani envoy pointed out that Sudan’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, requiring $4.16 billion, is only 14 per cent funded, calling for “the fulfilment of critical funding gaps” and citing recent aid cuts by major donors as “indefensible”.
“We call on international community to fulfill critical funding gaps.,” he added.
“Most important is to have a political process that is inclusive and addresses comprehensively the various dimensions of the situation, to bring about a lasting solution.”
“Lastly,” Ambassador Jadoon added, “Pakistan reaffirms its support for the unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan.”
At the outset, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, said, “For too long, the conflict in Sudan has gravely imperiled lives of Sudanese civilians,” underscored Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, pointing to increased and indiscriminate aerial assaults by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and continuous attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure.
She noted that the focus of the fighting has shifted to the Darfur and Kordofan regions, with El Obeid in north Kordofan emerging as a key flashpoint. Voicing concern about the use of advanced weaponry, including long-range drones, which has expanded hostilities in previously stable areas, she urged that “de-escalation is urgently needed”, warning that this trend is likely to intensify during the rainy season as movement on the ground becomes more difficult.
The consequences of the conflict extend beyond Sudan’s borders, she pointed out, expressing concern about reports of clashes at the Sudan-Libya-Egypt tri-border zone, involving the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and forces affiliated with the Libyan National Army, which mark a serious escalation.
Ms Pobee also noted the presence of the Rapid Support Forces in Abyei and the north-eastern Central African Republic.