Sudan and South Sudan - Security Council, 9993rd meeting Security Council Date: 12 September 2025 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/sc/9993 Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Security Council · President [0:02]: The 9993rd meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda of this meeting is: Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan. The agenda is adopted. In accordance with Rule 37 of the Council's Provisional Rules of Procedure, I invite the representative of Sudan to participate in this meeting. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/566, the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote now. Will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document S/2025/566 please raise their hand. The result of the voting is as follows. The draft resolution received 15 votes in favor. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2791. I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the vote. I give the floor to the representative of United States. United States of America [2:24]: Thank you, Mr. President. And the United States thanks fellow Council members for their constructive engagement to renew the Sudan sanctions measures and extend the Panel of Experts' mandate. We welcome the alignment of the Panel of Experts and sanctions renewal timelines, which ensures a more cohesive and efficient approach to addressing the crisis in Sudan. Colleagues, the situation in Darfur remains dire, with widespread violence, severe humanitarian challenges, and mass displacement, all repeatedly underscored in the Panel's reporting. This adoption sends the clear message the international community remains focused on stemming the flow of arms and promoting accountability for those who perpetuate violence and instability in Darfur. The United States remains committed to the Sudanese people and will continue to work with Council members, regional actors, and key stakeholders to protect civilians, enable humanitarian access, and support a path toward peace and reconciliation in Sudan. And with that, I thank you, Mr. President. Security Council · President [3:32]: I thank the representative of United States for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone · A3+ [3:40]: Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to deliver this explanation of vote on behalf of the A3+ members. namely Algeria, Guyana, Somalia, and my own country, Sierra Leone. At the outset, we wish to express our appreciation to the pen holder for their efforts at securing broad consensus on the renewal of the 1591 sanctions regime on Darfur. We voted in favour of this draft resolution because the text covers our main concerns, including the alignment of the timelines for the renewal of the 1591 sanction measures, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which over the years continued to symbolize a major rallying point for the A3+ and a significant number of Council members. The A3+ welcomes the Council's adoption of the resolution and looks forward to this Council's collective resolve to ensure the implementation of the sanctions regime on the Darfur region. with the ultimate objective of easing the sanction measures on the basis of the developments on the ground, as well as improving the security and humanitarian situation in the country. We note in this regard that regardless of the sanctions measures in place, the conflict in Sudan continues to be fueled mainly by the military support provided by external actors and foreign interferences, in clear violation of the arms embargo. The ongoing massacre of civilians on ethnic lines and the scale and scope of unimaginable conflict-related sexual violence are largely facilitated by violations of the arms embargo. We therefore strongly underscore the importance of compliance with the sanction measures and accountability for those responsible for such violations and abuses. We conclude by reiterating that the conflict in Sudan would only be resolved through the participation, the facilitation of an all-inclusive, Sudanese-led and owned process, premised on genuine dialogue and focuses on addressing the root causes of the conflict. I thank you. Security Council · President [5:58]: I thank the representative of Sierra Leone for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Denmark. Denmark [6:05]: Thank you, Mr. President. Let me also thank the US for leading on this negotiation. Denmark voted in favor of this resolution. We welcome the extension of the sanctions regime in Sudan and its alignment with the mandate of the panel of experts. For far too long, the people of Sudan have suffered while perpetrators have enjoyed impunity. We are extremely alarmed by the sustained siege in El Fasher by the RSF, now ongoing for more than 500 days. Attacks have destroyed critical medical infrastructure and created a humanitarian catastrophe, while basic social services are overstretched and food insecurity sores. We strongly condemn attacks on civilians, as well as humanitarian personnel and facilities, which have become far too common. We continue to witness severe human rights and protection crisis in Sudan. Decisive action, including immediate and sustained humanitarian pauses, are necessary to prevent atrocity crimes and allow lifesaving assistance to reach those in need. The suffering is not confined to Darfur. Fighting in the Kordofans continue to escalate, with a catastrophic toll on civilians and the collapse of essential services. Conflict-related sexual violence continues to be wielded as a weapon of war. We welcome the recognition of this course in today's resolution. Mr. President, against this dire backdrop, the arms embargo on Darfur and the whole Sudan sanctions regime are more important than ever. We urge all parties to the conflict and all member states to fully comply with the embargo and other measures. We call on states to cooperate promptly and fully with the panel of experts and with other efforts to ensure accountabilities for violations of international law. Words of condolence and concerns are no longer sufficient. This Council and the international community must come together and act decisively for peace in Sudan. Thank you. Security Council · President [8:00]: I thank the representative of Denmark for her statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan. Pakistan [8:07]: Thank you, Mr. President. Pakistan has joined consensus on the renewal of the sanctions regime concerning Darfur, Sudan. We appreciate the penholder, the United States, for its constructive approach in taking on board the views of Council members and the country concerned during the consultations. We welcome the alignment of the sanctions regime with the mandate of the Panel of Experts. We remain deeply concerned by continued violations of the arms embargo. The unrestricted flow of weapons into Darfur has fuelled the conflict, exacerbated human suffering and undermined peace efforts. it is imperative that all states comply with the embargo. Our support for the resolution reflects Pakistan's consistent commitment to peace and stability in Sudan and the wider region. We reiterate our support for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan. Any measures of this council must respect these principles and should not substitute for political dialogue or national ownership of solutions. Sanctions, we believe, are a means and not an end, and should be used judiciously. I thank you. Security Council · President [9:23]: I thank the representative of Pakistan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation. Russian Federation [9:30]: Mr. President. The Russian Federation voted in favor of the draft sanctions resolution of the Security Council on Sudan, Darfur, Sudan, which was drafted by the United States. We note that the document reflects two key goals, the technical extension of the sanctions regime and synchronizing with this the mandate of the panel of experts of Security Council Committee 1591. This, once again, can undertake its work, albeit in a limited composition. Unfortunately, the situation in Sudan and in the Greater Darfur, in the Greater Darfur in particular, is far from stable. For more than a year, the rebels have been besieging the capital of Northern Darfur, El Fasher, and the situation in other states in the south of the country is also complicated. The elements are maintaining military capabilities. They are countering the armed forces, and this is largely possible due to the external policy deliveries, foreign policy, the deliveries of weapons and equipment in breach of the embargo that was imposed vis-a-vis this region of Sudan. of what was imposed more than 20 years ago under other circumstances. I refer to the sanctions regime. At the very minimum, the effectiveness of this leaves much to be desired. However, we trust that Security Council restrictions will be enforced and all facts of their being flouted or ignored will be identified in a timely fashion. It is important for the sanctions regime not to be used in order to thwart the efforts of the current government of Sudan as it seeks to establish rule of law and restore constitutional order in the country. For now, unfortunately, that is precisely what is happening. The country's authorities and army, who have for all of these years been scrupulously complied with these sanctions restrictions vis-a-vis Darfur, they are bearing the main burden of the restrictions and the limitations, and their opponents are emerging unscathed, unaffected. We think that this approach is unjust and an attempt to turn the situation upside down. I wish to stress that if the Council is seeking to extend the sanctions regime against Darfur, then it needs to work to fulfill its main duty, namely to shield the peaceful civilians of the region from growing violence and instability. We categorically reject, even at the discursive level in terms of discussions, proposals on extension of the sanctions to other regions in Sudan. We believe that rash, misguided steps on the Sudan file may undermine and derail prospects for inter-Sudanese dialogue and reconciliation, and they need to be avoided at all and all efforts need to be undertaken to avoid this. Unfortunately, some delegations have been unable to resist the temptation to populate this purely technical resolution with extraneous elements, such as the issue of sexual violence. wish to stress that humanitarian subjects the protection of civilians human rights and sexual violence in conflict is not the cause this is the consequence of the hostilities which have been ongoing since spring 2023 in Sudan consequently resolving this is directly linked to the overriding need to end hostilities to transition to political diplomatic resolution through wide-ranging Nationwide dialogue at the present stage it is important for all conscientious representatives of the international community to establish constructive cooperation on these matters with the Government of Sudan, and not to exploit this or sanctions as a means of exerting pressure on Khartoum. Thank you for your attention. Security Council · President [13:23]: I thank the representative of Russian Federation for her statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Slovenia. Slovenia [13:30]: Thank you, Mr. President. Slovenia thanks the United States, the pen holder, for their efforts in steering the renewal of the sanctions regime on Sudan and aligning the Panel of Experts mandate with the regime's timetable. We welcome today's adoption. Slovenia voted in favour, not because we see sanctions as an end in itself, but because they remain a necessary tool to support broader peace and stabilisation efforts in Sudan. The Panel of Experts has provided a body of evidence of violations of the arms embargo, and of widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, confirming the need for continued monitoring and the need for accountability. These violations are enabled by those who continue to supply arms in defiance of these Council decisions. Our vote reflects just that. We also emphasize that it remains crucial that the Panel of Experts be made fully operational as swiftly as possible, so that the 1591 Committee's and Council's decisions remain informed and effective. At the same time, we are mindful that the crisis in Sudan is not confined to Darfur, as is the current sanctions regime. Violence with patterns of instability, displacement, and human suffering extends far beyond Darfur's borders. It is essential that the Council's deliberations, including on sanctions, reflect this wider context. Mr. President, before concluding, I must speak to the brutalities exposed in recent reports, including by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. Over the course of this conflict, we have been made aware of atrocities across Sudan, and especially in Darfur. The mission has documented mass killings, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and the deliberate denial of food, water, and medical care. This can only be summarized as terror. So today we issue a plea to all actors. Enough is enough. The spiral of atrocities must end, and those who fuel, commit, or profit from it must bear responsibility for their actions and be held to account. Thank you. Security Council · President [15:53]: I thank the representative of Slovenia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of the United Kingdom. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [16:02]: Thank you, President. The United Kingdom welcomes the renewal of the Sudan sanctions regime, including the alignment of the Panel of Experts' mandate. We are grateful to the United States, as penholder, for facilitating negotiations, and to Council members for their engagement. I'll make three points. First, we welcome the new language in the mandate expressing concern at reports of conflict-related sexual violence. In their most recent report, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan documented widespread and systematic sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage, often targeting individuals based on their gender and ethnic identity. We urge the Committee to sanction perpetrators. Second, the UK stands ready to support further strengthening and expanding of this sanctions regime. The conflict continues to intensify with devastating impact on civilians. This sanctions regime needs to be effective. This should include tackling the growing use of mercenaries and drones and addressing the expansion of fighting and arms flow into the Corda fan states. Third, President, We urge all Council members to support the work of the Panel of Experts. It's regrettable that for many months, the Sudan Panel's work has been held up by some Council members. We hope this can now change. The Panel plays a critical role in ensuring that sanctions are effective. This sanctions regime remains an important tool in the search for peace and security in Sudan and the region. It can help in the protection of civilians, including by constraining the flow of arms. We remain committed to working with Council members and regional partners in support of a peaceful future for Sudan. I thank you. Security Council · President [18:04]: I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of China. China [18:15]: President, I welcome the presence of the permanent representative of the Sudan at today's meeting. China voted in favor of the draft resolution that has just been adopted. The ongoing conflict in the Sudan has led to mounting civilian casualties and an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis. The Council's decision to extend the sanctions on Darfur, Sudan, will contribute to stemming arms flow into the war zone, preventing the intensification of the conflict and reducing harms to civilians. We hope that member states will earnestly comply with the provisions of this resolution and implement the relevant provisions, the relevant measures, rather. China and many other fellow Council members have consistently and responsibly called for addressing the misalignment of the mandates of the Sudan sanctions regime and the panel of experts, respectively. China commends this resolution for resolving this issue. China has repeatedly underscored that sanctions are a means rather than an end and should not be abused as a political tool for interference and pressure. The priority now is to achieve a ceasefire and end the fighting as soon as possible, mitigate the humanitarian plight, and steadily advance the political process. The international community should earnestly safeguard Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, support the mediation efforts led by the UN and the AU, and help Sudan restore peace and stability at an early date. Thank you, President. Security Council · President [19:45]: I thank the representative of China for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Panama. Panama [19:55]: Thank you, President. We would like to recognize the participation of the representative of Sudan at the meeting. We welcome the adoption of this resolution, and we thank the United States as penholder for its leadership in conducting these negotiations. We also value its efforts to facilitate a text that reflects a balance between the various positions of the members of the Council. We would also like to thank the United Kingdom for its initiative to include in the text specific considerations on conflict-related sexual violence. We recognize the importance of highlighting this issue in the context of Sudan. where the civilian population, and in particular women and girls, continue to face serious violations of human rights. We also value the alignment of mandates that has been achieved with this resolution. This coherence among the Council's instruments is essential to ensure more effective and coordinated action. We wish to underscore that the measures contained in this resolution aim to address specific behaviors that threaten peace, security, and fundamental rights in the country. In this regard, we stress that sanctions must remain a selective, temporary tool subject to continuous review in light of developments on the ground. and not as a goal in themselves. We reiterate our concern about the persistence of violence in Sudan, as well as the worsening humanitarian situation. This resolution constitutes an additional tool that we hope will strengthen strict compliance with international law. Thank you very much. Security Council · President [21:54]: I thank the representative of Panama for the statement. And I'll give the floor to the representative of the Sudan. Sudan [22:04]: Minister President, thank you. We congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the Council this month, and you can count on our support. We thank the U.S., the pen holder, for cooperating with Sudan. and to accept the technical extension of the resolution. We thank the efforts by China and Russia, as well the A3+ in following up and ensuring that this resolution is adopted. Mr. President, the status and the dynamics of Resolution 1591 was negatively affected with time. Sudan has long, uh, requested that we reviewed the sanctions and the measures according to the resolution in line with its fundamental right in the charter to defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity as a member state of the UN. and its right to individual and collective defense guaranteed in the Charter, as sovereignty cannot -- is indivisible and should be integral. Therefore, we commend the position of the Council and the Secretary-General in condemning all the efforts to divide the Sudan and the regional levers that are conspiring in neighboring countries in the countries that hosted a plan to launch a virtual government and wanted to make Niala a capital for it. The leniency in implementing this resolution led to undermine the Sudanese sovereignty and the fact that the militias continue to impose a siege on Al-Fasher and different cities in Darfur and Kordofan. And this had exacerbated the foreign and the Emirati blatant violations and interferences that led to the prolongation of this war and threatening of the civilians. the Sudanese army was able to fight these militias, and therefore they distracted the efforts by bringing in mercenaries, particularly from Colombia, who are brought through special security companies that take their headquarters in the UAE. in order to work and to act in Sudan while relying on bases and military facilities of UAE to transport these mercenaries and train them. There were 248 flights in planes rented by the UAE to train these mercenaries and bring them to the Sudanese territories, particularly in Nyala and Fashir. and they oversee their training and the operationalization of drones, as well as the recruitment and training of children, the ages between 10 and 12. The participation of mercenaries in the hostilities against the Sudanese army led to terrible violations that were documented and created the chances for massacres and summary killings. that led to the killing of 87 Sudanese civilians by these mercenaries. And scores were killed through drone attacks, while 150 civilian buildings were destroyed. Among the evidence that we found that there was and secret operation in Spanish that was dated the 1st of December 2024, whereby some of the Colombian mercenaries used white phosphorus that is prohibited according to the international humanitarian law, and included documents with a list of weapons and supplies that the leader of these mercenaries had demanded from Al Ain in UAE. The Colombian president has condemned this operation and confirmed that 40 Colombian mercenaries were killed. The militias also attacked an oil field in Kordofan through a drone. The French radio, international radio station, showed that according to satellite images and materials published, that there is a military base that is a secret base for the military support rapid support forces in the Libyan desert that would support the militias in Darfur. And this has coincided with the implementation of a new line for logistics that was providing supplies to the militias near Al-Kafra, south of Libya, in violation of Resolution 1591 and Resolution 2736. The information that we provided to the Security Council has provided evidence to the existence of this system in the desert that works to undermine the Sudanese sovereignty and the continued supplies line from Libya and Nyala to N'Djamena. You are all aware that the militias are trying to find a place, a foothold in Awinat Mountain and the border triangle that is between Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. These mercenaries that are killing Sudanese and the security companies that are transporting them to destroy Sudan and displace its people, they have shown and are evidence to attempt to redraw the map of Sudan within the framework of the current chaos in the international community. Sudan has made clear accusations to UAE, supported by documents that confirm its involvement in this plan. failure to take a constructive action by the Council has provided the ground for the regional sponsors to violate the international law. The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs has confessed that a number of Colombian citizens have joined the fighting alongside the militias in Sudan and made an official apology to Sudan. This continues while the siege of Al-Fasher continues, whereas the Rapid Support Forces militias and their mercenary allies use starvation as a weapon. The air assets that are provided to these militia by external partners are trying to abort the supplies, the humanitarian supplies to Al-Fasher to try and save the lives of the civilians. A voluntary organization described the status of the civilians that they do not wait to die, but are on a daily basis fighting with courage to show the world that this catastrophe is not a fate, but a deliberate crime. The militia and the mercenaries cut all supply lines, and this was witnessed by the UN, that confirmed the looting of the aid convoys. The militias and the mercenaries turned Zamzam camp, after it was invaded, into a military base, which led to the displacement of half a million people. These atrocities and these crimes committed by the militias are committed in a systematic and deliberate manner. The militias ignored in the past calls from the Secretary-General to accept a humanitarian pause to allow the delivery of aid to Al-Fasher. The Prime Minister submitted a letter to the Secretary-General asking for an immediate action to provide support and humanitarian aid to civilians in Darfur. Sudan places great importance to the -- and attaches great importance to the role of the Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts. and collaborate with them and engage with them constructively. And therefore, we call upon the panel of experts to put an end to the controversy regarding the exacerbation of the aggression against Sudan and the mercenaries against it. and to not overlook what was mentioned and the evidence that are existence in this regard. We look forward to a panel of experts that is professional and that is credible. The border area is being used to smuggle weapons and supplies to the militias that leads to prolonging this war. This, in its itself is a clear evidence to the violation of the Sudanese sovereignty. Neighboring countries should respect the charter and should not open their borders to support the rapid support militias and to turn their lands and territory as a place to destabilize Sudan and its security. One of the countries obstructed the arrival of the team of mercenaries to certain areas inside a territory so that it does not reveal its role in this plot. We hope that the panel of experts should work according to the best practices. We have noticed that there was no efforts made to track the flights that the government of Sudan has pointed to, and we have submitted a complete report monitoring these flights last week. External parties working with these militias created a balance of power that is supported by mercenaries and continue to support the militias in order to increase their operational support. change these dynamics into a soft occupation that is managed by the UAE remotely without having to bear the responsibility for it or its repercussions, which makes it a terror project that is transboundary and that ensures impunity by trying to act smart. The lack of a firm reaction from this council to this, to what is happening, makes Darfur again either as a lever for new nationalism or a genocide or a place to burn also down all the enemies of Sudan. Or that Darfur becomes a place for terrorism. that creates more extremism. We refuse all the conditions for a settlement that is imposed by UAE. We refuse the establishment of any ethnic entity or a parallel government under the auspices of the UAE. We will not allow that. And Sudan will confront any attempts to divide it by the external parties. Mr. President, we call upon this Council to pay attention to the following. According to the convention regarding fighting the recruitment or the use or the financing or the training of mercenaries, the country that is doing that should be responsible for its actions. This was condemned by the Security Council regarding the activities of mercenaries, because they are considered a direct threat to international peace and security. The Council, particularly in its resolution 1674, 2286, repeatedly confirmed that the targeting of civilians and the use of prohibited weapons are grave violations of the international humanitarian law. The mercenaries should not benefit from the status of prisoners of war in line with the Geneva Convention and the 1989 agreement to fight the recruitment, the use, and the financing and training of mercenaries. This requires those countries to hold these mercenaries accountable and to bring them to justice. There is also other decisions regarding the elimination of the mercenaries and that mercenaries are a threat to peace, also in Africa. The Security Council condemned several times the use of mercenaries in Angola in its resolution 1127, and in Sierra Leone in its resolution 1132, recognizing its negative impact on peace operations. The use of white phosphorus in civilian areas is also a violation of the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The nature of these operations is a violation also of the UN Charter. The Council has established expert panels and monitoring mechanisms particularly in the resolution 2127 regarding Central African Republic and 1973 regarding Libya to monitor the flow of weapons and mercenaries. As such, we call upon the Council the following. The Government of Sudan requires that the Security Council should take a decisive action, that there should be a special mechanism for monitoring the sanctions and also for monitoring the mercenaries, similar to other cases in Libya or others, and to ensure that targeted sanctions are imposed, including asset freezing and travel ban on those entities that are engaged in recruiting mercenaries. Thank you, Mr. President. Security Council · President [37:24]: I thank the representative of the Sudan for the statement. there are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers, the meeting is adjourned.