Pakistan urges decisive UN action to end atrocities, restore peace in Sudan

ISLAMABAD: At the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned the atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region, urging decisive international action, an immediate ceasefire, and a Sudanese-led political solution.

This was said by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, in a statement at the Security Council Meeting on the Situation in Sudan on October 30, said a press release issued by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN on Thursday.

Ambassador Ahmad said the situation in Darfur has continued to deteriorate sharply.

“And this despite Security Council resolution 2736 (2024), which demanded that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) lift the siege of El Fasher, and despite repeated Council press statements calling for an end to the atrocities, the RSF has taken over El-Fasher and continues to commit one war crime after another.”

‘Unambiguous message’

Stressing the need for the Council to send an ‘unambiguous message’, Ambassador Ahmad said: “It is time for this Council to send an unambiguous message that it will not remain a passive spectator while innocent civilians are massacred, hospitals are bombed, and aid workers are targeted with impunity.”

Condemning the atrocities committed, the Pakistan representative said: “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, and its violent takeover of El Fasher.”

‘Heinous acts must stop’ 

“The deliberate targeting of civilians, medical facilities, and humanitarian personnel constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. We are appalled by the killing of hundreds of patients and health workers at the Saudi Maternity Hospital and by the continued siege that has trapped thousands of civilians in inhumane conditions,” he added.

“These heinous acts must stop immediately, and the perpetrators and their sponsors must be held fully accountable,” the Pakistani representative demanded.

Underlining the need for learning from ‘past mistakes’, he said, “Those who reject parallel governance by RSF but at the same time try to equate the militia with the Sudanese authorities, must review their position.”

“The perceived lack of full support for the Sudanese Government by this Council only emboldens the RSF and prolongs the conflict,” he added.

“Undermining Sudan’s legitimate state institutions risks creating a vacuum that armed groups like RSF exploit to commit further atrocities and destabilize the entire region.”

The ambassador said, “It is therefore imperative that the international community engage constructively with the Sudanese authorities to sustain governance, facilitate humanitarian access, advance the political process, and preserve national unity.”

‘Parallel governance structures’

“We recognize the steps taken by the Sudanese Government in pursuance of its transitional roadmap, including the appointment of a new Prime Minister and a technocratic cabinet tasked with alleviating humanitarian suffering and advancing an inclusive political transition. These are positive developments that deserve the Council’s acknowledgment and support,” he added.

He said Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

“We condemn, unequivocally, the establishment of any so-called parallel governance structures which undermine Sudan’s state institutions and risk fragmenting the country. Such illegitimate structures must find no recognition from the international community.”

‘Guns must fall silent’ 

Ambassador Ahmad said, “The guns must fall silent. External interference must stop. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for renewed engagement in a genuinely Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned political process, consistent with the spirit of the Jeddah Declaration and commitments to Protect the Civilians in Sudan.”

A press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations on Thursday stated, “As the world bears witness to yet another chapter of human bloodshed and suffering in Darfur (Sudan), Pakistan today urged the UN Security Council to abandon passivity and confront impunity head-on, warning that silence in the face of atrocity is complicity by another name.”