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ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressed the UN Security Council on Thursday, declaring that there is &quot;no military solution to the conflict in Sudan&quot; and asserting that meaningful dialogue remains the only viable path forward. Ambassador Jadoon warned that the crisis is currently deteriorating &quot;at an alarming pace,&quot; citing the expansion of hostilities into Kordofan following the humanitarian catastrophe in El Fasher.&nbsp; To address the instability, he emphasized the need for coherence among international political initiatives.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2024717729471582468&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0889d6deeb65e66808aa7a3fe8acf59016a1fb50&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2024717729471582468"></iframe></div></div>He stated that efforts from the African Union, the United Nations, and regional partners must be &quot;mutually reinforcing&quot; to help secure a humanitarian truce that can eventually evolve into a ceasefire. The ambassador expressed Pakistan&#39;s support for the peace plan presented by the transitional Sudanese government and welcomed recent communiqu&eacute;s from the African Union.&nbsp; However, he remained vocal regarding the escalating violence, strongly condemning atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur and Kordofan.&nbsp; Jadoon warned that deliberate attacks against civilians, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers are unacceptable and &quot;may amount to war crimes&quot;.&nbsp; He noted that the civilian population is paying the heaviest price, facing sieges and the use of &quot;increasingly sophisticated weaponry&quot;. Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s principled position, Jadoon reiterated unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan. He stressed that a unified Sudan is essential for the stability of the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Red Sea region. Regarding the humanitarian crisis, Jadoon called for &quot;sustained, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access,&quot; noting that coordination with the Sudanese government is &quot;indispensable&quot; for effective aid delivery.&nbsp; He urged an urgent scaling-up of international funding for the response. In closing, Jadoon insisted that the &quot;guns must fall silent&quot; to restore a credible political horizon for a stable Sudan.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan's ambassador expresses the country's support for the peace plan presented by the transitional Sudanese government and welcomed recent communiqués from the African Union. 

Pakistan urges political path to peace in Sudan at UNSC 

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh and the United Nations secretary general on Saturday &ldquo;strongly condemned&rdquo; a deadly attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving in Sudan. According to a press release issued by the&nbsp;Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs&nbsp;in Dhaka, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight others were injured when a drone attack targeted a United Nations base in Abyei, Sudan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999905988657418474&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=1a920b3eecaa03a1554f725ecd546fde0ab1584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The government expressed deep condolences to the families of those killed and said the nation mourns the loss of the fallen peacekeepers.&nbsp;It also conveyed prayers for the healing and early recovery of those who were wounded in the attack. The press release said the government, through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, has requested the UN to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured peacekeepers. It further noted that the Bangladesh Mission in New York is maintaining close contact with the United Nations and working with it to provide all support to the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent in Sudan. &lsquo;Horrific drone attacks&rsquo;Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, in a statement issued on Saturday, strongly condemned the &ldquo;horrific drone attacks that targeted the United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, on 13 December 2025, resulting in six fatalities and eight injuries &ndash; all members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent serving in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999932379360637017&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=1a920b3eecaa03a1554f725ecd546fde0ab1584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>In his message, Guterres expressed his &ldquo;deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Bangladesh, to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;Unjustifiable&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Support is being provided to the wounded peacekeepers ahead of their evacuation,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Terming the attack in South Kordofan against the peacekeepers as &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo;, Guterres said, &ldquo;There will need to be accountability.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;He reiterated his call on the warring parties to &ldquo;agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities and to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process.&rdquo;

Bangladesh

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight others were injured when a drone attack targeted a United Nations base in Abyei, Sudan; UN secretary general says ‘support is being provided to the wounded peacekeepers ahead of their evacuation.’

Dhaka, UN ‘strongly condemn’ attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Sudan

THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court on Tuesday handed down a sentence of 20 years to a Sudanese militia leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country&#39;s civil war two decades ago.&nbsp;The court had already convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, of 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including rape, murder, and torture, in the western Darfur region between 2003 and 2004.&nbsp;The 76-year-old, wearing a blue suit and tie, stood impassively as presiding judge Joanna Korner passed the sentence.&nbsp;Abd-Al-Rahman was a leading member of Sudan&#39;s infamous Janjaweed militia who participated &quot;actively&quot; in multiple war crimes during the civil war, the court found.&nbsp;Korner said Abd-Al-Rahman &quot;personally perpetrated&quot; beatings, including with an axe, and gave orders for executions.&nbsp;She cited victims who said he had carried out a &quot;campaign of extermination, humiliation and displacement.&quot;&nbsp;Korner read out in court harrowing testimony from victims of the suffering they had endured under the Janjaweed.&nbsp;&quot;Days of torture began at sunrise... blood ran freely in the streets... there was no medical help, no treatment, no mercy,&quot; said Korner.&nbsp;She said that Abd-Al-Rahman had personally walked on the heads of injured men, women, and children.&nbsp;Prosecutor Julian Nicholls had called for a life sentence, telling the court: &quot;You literally have an axe murderer before you. This is the stuff of nightmares.&quot;&nbsp;Abd-Al-Rahman had denied being a high-ranking official in the Janjaweed militia, a predominantly Arab paramilitary force armed by the Sudanese government to kill mainly black African tribes in Darfur two decades ago.&nbsp;He fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 when a new Sudanese government announced its intention to cooperate with the ICC&#39;s investigation.&nbsp;He said he then handed himself in because he was &quot;desperate&quot; and feared authorities would kill him, a claim the court rejected.&nbsp;Korner said this voluntary surrender was one of several factors that mitigated the sentence, along with his age and good behavior in detention.&nbsp;&quot;The chamber would have pronounced a higher sentence had it not been for the mitigating circumstances discussed above,&quot; said Korner.&nbsp;The time he had already spent in detention since June 2020 would be deducted from the sentence.&nbsp;&#39;Symbolic&#39; convictionFighting broke out in Sudan&#39;s Darfur region in the 2000s when non-Arab tribes, complaining of systematic discrimination, took up arms against the Arab-dominated government.&nbsp;Khartoum responded by unleashing the Janjaweed, a force drawn from among the region&#39;s nomadic tribes.&nbsp;The United Nations says 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million more displaced in the conflict.&nbsp;ICC prosecutors are hoping to issue fresh arrest warrants related to the current crisis in Sudan. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in a war between Sudan&#39;s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which traces its origins back to the Janjaweed.&nbsp;The conflict, marked by claims of atrocities on all sides, has left the northeast African country on the brink of famine, according to aid agencies.&nbsp;In passing sentence, Korner said the ICC wanted to ensure both &quot;retribution and deterrence.&quot;&nbsp;She added that &quot;deterrence is particularly apposite in this case given the current situation in Sudan.&quot;&nbsp;Victims&#39; representatives had wanted the sentence to be sufficiently long that he would never return to Sudan. The ICC, which tries individuals for the world&#39;s worst crimes, can impose a life sentence, but has never done so.&nbsp;Abd-Al-Rahman&#39;s conviction &quot;is also symbolic,&quot; ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told AFP in an interview on Friday.&nbsp;&quot;It is a signal to the victims in Sudan, but also to those committing crimes, that justice may be slow but it will get you in the end,&quot; Niang said.

Africa

Abd-Al-Rahman was a leading member of Sudan's infamous Janjaweed militia who participated 'actively' in multiple war crimes during the civil war, the International Criminal Court found.

ICC sentences Sudan militia chief to 20 years

GENEVA: The World Health Organization said Monday that 114 people, including 63 children, were killed in &quot;senseless&quot; strikes on a hospital and kindergarten in Sudan&#39;s South Kordofan state last week.&nbsp;Local official Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, told AFP that Thursday&#39;s paramilitary drone attack on the army-held town hit &quot;first a kindergarten, then a hospital and a third time as people tried to rescue the children&quot;.&nbsp;Since April 2023, Sudan&#39;s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been locked in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million.&nbsp;Following their late-October capture of El-Fasher, the army&#39;s last stronghold in western Sudan the RSF have pushed eastward into the oil-rich Kordofan region, divided into three states.&nbsp;The strikes &quot;hit a kindergarten and, at least three times, the nearby Kalogi Rural Hospital, killing 114 people, including 63 children, and injuring 35 people,&quot; WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, citing the UN health agency&#39;s Attacks on Health Care monitoring system.&nbsp;Survivors from Thursday&#39;s attack were moved to Abu Jebaiha Hospital in South Kordofan for treatment, while urgent calls have gone out for blood donations and other medical support, Tedros said.&nbsp;&quot;Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the kindergarten to the hospital,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;WHO deplores these senseless attacks on civilians and health facilities, and calls again for an end to the violence, and increased access to humanitarian aid, including health.&nbsp;&quot;Sudanese have suffered far too much. Ceasefire now!&quot;&nbsp;While the WHO counts and verifies attacks on health care, it does not attribute blame as it is not an investigation agency.&nbsp;The WHO says health care facilities and patients were hit in the attacks, which took place between 6:00 am and noon.&nbsp;Its record of the incident lists violence with heavy weapons, obstruction to health care delivery and &quot;Psychological violence/threat of violence/intimidation&quot;.&nbsp;In total, the WHO has recorded 63 attacks on health care in Sudan this year, resulting in 1,611 deaths and 259 injuries. Of those attacks, 52 impacted personnel, 45 impacted facilities and 32 impacted patients.&nbsp;UN chief Antonio Guterres was &quot;appalled&quot; by reports of Thursday&#39;s fatal attack, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York.&nbsp;&quot;The secretary-general calls on all states with influence over the parties to take immediate action and use their leverage to compel an immediate halt to the fighting and stop the arms flows that are fuelling the conflict,&quot; he said.

World Health Organization says 114 people, including 63 children, were killed when a kindergarten and hospital in South Kordofan, Sudan, were hit by strikes. Survivors need urgent medical help, and the UN is calling for the fighting to stop.

WHO says 114 killed in strikes on Sudan kindergarten, hospital

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court&rsquo;s Office of the Prosecutor on Tuesday expressed deep concern over reports of mass killings, rapes, and other crimes allegedly committed during recent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in El-Fasher, North Darfur.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a statement, the ICC Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office said the alleged atrocities form part of a wider pattern of violence that has plagued the Darfur region since April 2023. If confirmed, these acts may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, the statement said.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Office recalled that &ldquo;under UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005), the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes being committed in the ongoing conflict in Darfur.&rdquo; It said investigations are ongoing &ldquo;into crimes allegedly committed in Darfur since the outbreak of hostilities in April 2023.&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the statement, &ldquo;the Office is working intensively, including through repeated field deployments, deepened engagement with victim groups and civil society, and enhanced cooperation with national authorities and international organisations.&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Based on recent reports from El-Fasher, &ldquo;immediate steps are being taken to preserve and collect relevant evidence for its use in future prosecutions, the Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office said.&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It added that &ldquo;the recent conviction by ICC judges of Janjaweed leader Mr Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (also known as Ali Kushayb) for similar crimes committed in Darfur in 2004 is a warning for all parties to the conflict in Darfur that there will be accountability for such atrocious crimes.&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ICC called on &ldquo;all individuals and organisations engaged in the pursuit of justice and accountability to submit, through the secure OTP Link platform, any information or evidence related to recent and prior events in El-Fasher.&rdquo;

The International Criminal Court expressed deep concern over reports of mass killings and abuse in Sudan’s El-Fasher, warning that the alleged atrocities by Rapid Support Forces may constitute war crimes.

Atrocities in Sudan could constitute war crimes, ICC says

ISLAMABAD: At the UN Security Council, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned the atrocities in Sudan&rsquo;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&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the UN on Thursday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1983931984431677909&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=27d9da0f00a26766fae5b90dac22e51889054815&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 744px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Ambassador Ahmad said the situation in Darfur has continued to deteriorate sharply. &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &lsquo;Unambiguous message&rsquo;Stressing the need for the Council to send an &lsquo;unambiguous message&rsquo;, Ambassador Ahmad said: &ldquo;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.&rdquo; Condemning the atrocities committed, the Pakistan representative said: &ldquo;Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, and its violent takeover of El Fasher.&rdquo; &lsquo;Heinous acts must stop&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;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,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;These heinous acts must stop immediately, and the perpetrators and their sponsors must be held fully accountable,&rdquo; the Pakistani representative demanded. Underlining the need for learning from &lsquo;past mistakes&rsquo;, he said, &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &ldquo;The perceived lack of full support for the Sudanese Government by this Council only emboldens the RSF and prolongs the conflict,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Undermining Sudan&rsquo;s legitimate state institutions risks creating a vacuum that armed groups like RSF exploit to commit further atrocities and destabilize the entire region.&rdquo; The ambassador said, &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &lsquo;Parallel governance structures&rsquo;&ldquo;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&rsquo;s acknowledgment and support,&rdquo; he added. He said Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to Sudan&#39;s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. &ldquo;We condemn, unequivocally, the establishment of any so-called parallel governance structures which undermine Sudan&rsquo;s state institutions and risk fragmenting the country. Such illegitimate structures must find no recognition from the international community.&rdquo; &lsquo;Guns must fall silent&rsquo;&nbsp;Ambassador Ahmad said, &ldquo;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.&rdquo; A press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations on Thursday stated, &ldquo;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.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984080419969511756&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=27d9da0f00a26766fae5b90dac22e51889054815&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Pakistan urges UN to act against Sudan war crimes; at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s envoy condemns RSF atrocities in Sudan and urges decisive international action.

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

PORT SUDAN: A paramilitary drone strike killed at least 30 people at a displacement shelter in the besieged city of El-Fasher in western Sudan on Saturday, a local activist group said. The resistance committee for El-Fasher said the Rapid Support Forces, which have been at war with the army since April 2023, hit the Dar al-Arqam displacement centre on the grounds of a university. Bodies remained trapped in underground shelters, the committee said in a statement, describing it as a &quot;massacre&quot; and calling on the international community to intervene.

A drone strike by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed at least 30 people at a displacement center in El-Fasher, activists say. Victims were sheltering at a university; bodies remain trapped underground.

Drone strike kills 30 in Sudan's El-Fasher: activists

KHARTOUM: Sudan issued what it described as a &ldquo;red alert&rdquo; warning of potential floods in five provinces along the Nile River, citing rising water levels in its two main tributaries, the Blue and White Nile. The Sudanese irrigation ministry issued the alert Sunday and it remained in effect Monday. The ministry urged residents in Khartoum, River Nile, White Nile, Sennar, and Blue Nile provinces to practice caution as floods may affect agricultural lands and houses. Some farmers in the River Nile province were forced to quickly sell their onion crops as flooding was reported in lowland areas, which would affect farming, Shendi Now, a Facebook site, reported recently. The Sudanese irrigation ministry warned Sunday that water flow has been high for four consecutive days as dams in the area discharged excess water. The water levels were expected to decrease throughout the week. The situation is the result of a man-made error, said Abbas Sharaky, a Professor of Geology and Water Resources at Cairo University. Ethiopia earlier this month inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Africa&rsquo;s largest dam, to boost the economy. The nearly $5 billion dam, located on the Blue Nile tributary of the Nile River near Ethiopia&rsquo;s border with Sudan, will produce more than 5,000 megawatts and is expected to double Ethiopia&rsquo;s electricity generation capacity, according to officials. Although Sudan benefits from the dam&rsquo;s water flow during the agricultural season, &ldquo;the current situation is causing more harm than good because harvest season almost ended,&quot; Sharaky said. He added that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, also known as the GERD, wasn&rsquo;t emptied gradually as it stored water during Ethiopia&rsquo;s rainy season between June and August, which also burdens the dam. Four turbines that were supposed to help reduce the dam&rsquo;s reservoir failed to operate, preventing Ethiopia from releasing excess water, which led to excessive water flow into Sudan this week, Sharaky said. &ldquo;Ethiopia was stubborn and has repeatedly said that the dam&rsquo;s turbines are working, but seeing the stored water not decreasing says otherwise,&rdquo; Sharaky said. Egypt says Ethiopia has consistently lacked the political will to reach a binding agreement on the dam, undermining the Nile River water rights of Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopian Water Minister Habtamu Itefa Geleta said during the inauguration of the GERD that flooding had been reduced in Sudan as a result of the dam storing water during the rainy season.

A view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP)

Sudan issued a red alert for potential flooding in five provinces along the Nile due to rising water levels in the Blue and White Nile. The situation is worsened by Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam water discharge.

Articles tagged with "Sudan"