Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the briefing on the Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan

Thank you Mr. President,

I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo, I thank Director Rajasingham for their briefings. I also want to thank profoundly to Ms. Niemat Ahmadi for her clear and very powerful statement, for speaking for all silent civilians in Sudan and for presenting us very vividly the suffering of people in Sudan. I thank her also for the recommendations.

Mr. President,

Today, we will not be introducing fresh appeals or novel ideas. Instead, we are reiterating with renewed urgency what has already been repeatedly asked – by us, by this Council, by the wider international community and most importantly, by the Sudanese people themselves. To the warring parties we renew our call silence the guns, work towards a lasting ceasefire, uphold commitments to protect civilians, including as outlined in the Jeddah Declaration, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access and honour the dignity of the Sudanese people.

Mr. President,

As we have just heard from the briefers, despite pledges both parties to the conflict have failed to uphold their commitments. We reiterate the necessity for all involved parties to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law and to honour the commitments made, as already mentioned, in the Jeddah Declaration. In this regard, a compliance mechanism should be seriously explored to ensure these commitments are implemented on the ground.

We reiterate that respect for international law, as well as Security Council resolutions, including the arms embargo is not optional but obligatory.

We welcomed the decision by the Sudanese authorities to reopen the Adre crossing along with additional routes and humanitarian flights for urgent assistance. This must continue, expanding access further to ensure food, medical resources, and clean water reaches those in need without obstruction and delay. We commend the dedication of the UN country team, humanitarian actors and local organizations, especially grassroots emergency response rooms.

The conflict has unleashed devastating realities for civilians and as briefers reported, most horribly for women and girls, creating a humanitarian crisis with mass displacement, famine and suffering – a grim testament to the heavy toll of war.

The acute food insecurity has reached an unparalleled scale. Food must not be weaponized; it must never be used to deepen suffering of civilians. Such actions blatantly violate international law, which unequivocally condemns the use of starvation as a tactic of warfare, and they stand in stark defiance of humanity’s most fundamental values.

The scale and brutality of reported human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including the reprehensible use of conflict-related sexual violence which may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, is profoundly appalling. These violations must be investigated to ensure accountability and justice for victims and survivors.

We again demand that the RSF and its allied militias end their siege on El Fasher and large-scale assaults across Sudan. We also continue to decisively call on SAF to stop indiscriminate aerial bombings that have had devastating impacts on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Mr. President,

Today, we renew our call for peace, the ultimate shield against violence and the essential guarantee of civilian safety.

We appreciate the Secretary-General’s recommendations for civilian protection that should help guide our response to this inhumane crisis. We see these recommendations, along with today’s calls from briefers, as a clear call for unified action that prioritizes civilian welfare above all else. We encourage the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Mr. Lamamra, to persist in his invaluable mediation efforts, actively engaging all parties to promote dialogue. He has our full support.

Ms. Ahmadi said that civilians are dying in silence. Security Council should not remain silent with these atrocities continuing in Sudan. Slovenia remains committed to engage constructively for the swift adoption of this Council resolution implementing concrete recommendations. We stand prepared to work closely with all Council members for a resolution prioritizing the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, and the dignity of all Sudanese people.

Thank you.

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