A3+ Statement delivered by H.E. Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria at the Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Sudan

Thank You Mr. President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely, Guyana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and my own country Algeria.

We extend our appreciation to the Secretary General for his comprehensive briefing through which we are hearing once again on the alarming situation in the Sudan. We wish also to welcome the presence of the representative of the Sudan to this meeting.

Almost a year has passed since the beginning of the crisis in Sudan and the Sudanese people has yet to see any sign of appeasement despite all the efforts deployed to bring the parties to dialogue.

Civilians continue to pay the heavy toll of armed confrontations and all forms of violations while international and regional peace efforts are yet to bear fruits.

On the humanitarian situation, as we speak, we have before us the largest displacement crisis in the world with a high risk of acute food insecurity threatening millions of Sudanese, particularly in Darfur.

In front of this deteriorating situation, we want to seize the occasion of this meeting to make an urgent call upon all the Sudanese actors to declare an immediate ceasefire to ease the suffering of the innocent Sudanese men, women and children.

We call upon the Sudanese parties to put aside their differences and to consider the opportunity of the holy month of Ramadhan, a month of peace, to embark on a path of appeasement and restraint.

There is also a need to explore all ways and means, to grant unhindered access for international humanitarian assistance, so that it could reach all the affected Sudanese population, through close cooperation, between the Sudanese Government and the deployed humanitarian agencies.

In this regard, we welcome the announcement of the decision of the Sudanese authorities to facilitate humanitarian access through several crossing border points, such as Chad-Tina-Darfur, including the facilitation of humanitarian flights accessing airports in Al Fasher, Kadugli and Al Obeid. We encourage further engagements between OCHA and the Sudanese authorities.

We also welcome the announcement of a new round of talks, under the Jeddah process, and therefore we invite the Sudanese parties to engage in good faith during these talks.  

Here we wish to commend the facilitators of the process, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the US and IGAD who represents also the AU, for their continued efforts.

The holding of an international humanitarian Conference in Paris, next April, is also a commendable initiative, expected to provide an opportunity, to secure clear commitments from the Sudanese actors and the international community, to improve the humanitarian situation on the Ground.

Mr President,

As for the diplomatic efforts to end this tragic crisis, we witnessed multiple initiatives and processes since its beginning, but we did not see enough coordination between the different diplomatic tracks.

It is important at this stage, to place the coordination of regional and international effort as a priority while taking stock of all the existing frameworks, to adopt a different approach in our common endeavor to end this crisis.

This approach has to be based on inclusiveness, Sudanese ownership and adequate preparation.

We believe, in this vein, that discussions on humanitarian aspects need to go hand in hand with political efforts to give shape to a comprehensive solution.

It is equally important that we put forward the role of regional organizations, particularly the AU, in resolving the Sudanese crisis.

We welcome in this regard the establishment of an AU high level Panel on Sudan that we believe has the ability to bring a clear added value if provided with the necessary support.

Our common efforts are needed to avoid further consequences of the Sudanese crisis on the region where they are already heavily felt.

To mention only the case of South Sudan, where the humanitarian situation is also dire, more than half a million of refugees and returnees have crossed the border, as of February 2024, fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

While we are exchanging views on how we can contribute to the resolution of the crisis in the Sudan, we are troubled by reports on the role of external actors fueling the crisis in the Sudan, instead of helping peace efforts.

Colleagues, let us be clear, external interferences have to be publicly and firmly condemned.

Mr President,

In conclusion, we call upon the Sudanese brothers and sisters to put the interest and the unity of their Nation above all other considerations.

They are encouraged to translate the commitments they expressed in several occasions into concrete actions on the ground.

Peace must prevail in the Sudan.

Thank You