Egypt has called for ending the war in Sudan to become an immediate priority in order to stop the bloodshed. It also reiterated its categorical rejection of any efforts to undermine Sudan’s unity or create parallel entities and arrangements that would deepen divisions, impose a fait accompli or threaten the country’s territorial integrity.
Speaking before the UN Security Council on Sudan on Monday evening, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ihab Awad, said the Sudanese people were paying a devastating price for the continued conflict. He stressed that protecting civilians is an essential responsibility that allows no room for complacency or double standards.
Awad urged the Security Council to establish an effective and credible mechanism to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities and violations against civilians, MENA reported.
He emphasised that demands for an end to the war must be matched by concrete measures to stop the factors sustaining it. Egypt, he added, rejected approaches that place Sudanese state institutions and the rebel militia on equal footing in terms of responsibility, stressing that national institutions are central to preserving Sudan’s unity.
Restoring security, Awad said, requires supporting those institutions and developing a practical vision to end the war while safeguarding the Sudanese state.
He said alleviating civilian suffering also depends on stopping the illicit flow of weapons to the militia and addressing the arrival of mercenaries targeting civilians in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile. Genuine peace efforts, he noted, require cutting off the sources of escalation and ending all forms of support that prolong the conflict.
Addressing the arms embargo imposed on Darfur for more than two decades, Egypt’s representative said experience had shown that the measure had limited impact on the actual movement of weapons without clear and effective enforcement mechanisms.
He called for international efforts to prioritise stopping the illegal flow of arms and mercenaries, which directly fuels the fighting and places civilians at risk.
Awad said Egypt was continuing its contacts and efforts with Sudanese parties and international partners to bring the war to an end. Achieving peace, he stressed, requires serious regional and international coordination, along with support for a political process.
He further emphasized that any ceasefire arrangements must serve as a “bridge toward peace,” rather than freeze the conflict, solidify dividing lines or create conditions that could lead to Sudan’s partition.
He also urged the international community to guarantee unhindered humanitarian access to all affected areas and increase funding for the humanitarian response, highlighting the significant burden placed on Sudan’s neighboring countries as they receive people fleeing the war.
Awad noted that Egypt was closely monitoring the growing number of Sudanese voluntarily returning to areas retaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces, including Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri and Wad Madani. He said the international community must support efforts to restore stability and basic services and help create the conditions needed for citizens to return.
In closing, Egypt’s representative reaffirmed the importance of preserving Sudan as a united, secure and stable country. He warned against any measures or arrangements that could deepen division or jeopardise Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
