Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Mr. President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Mr. Khaled Khiari and Director of Operations and Advocacy Ms. Edem Wosornu on their briefings on the catastrophic situation in Sudan.

And while I agree with what Mr. Hudson said about the importance of Sudan transitioning to a civilian led government and one that is free from extremist forces, I express regret that he has also used the opportunity to repeat false and unfounded allegations against the UAE, which we categorically reject.

Mr. President,

As we speak, fighting continues unabated across the country. Despite repeated calls from the QUAD and others to secure a humanitarian truce that would enable a surge of life-saving assistance into and across Sudan, the warring parties choose to continue their military operations and violate international law.

Just this month, the conflict has crossed yet another red line with a direct attack against the United Nations.

The United Arab Emirates unequivocally condemns the heinous drone attack against UNIFSA’s logistics base in Kadugli, which resulted in the tragic deaths of UN peacekeepers, and represents a serious escalation.

Those responsible must be held accountable.

This attack does not stand in isolation, but reflects a broader and well-documented pattern of violations by the warring parties, which includes:

• The atrocities committed against civilians in El Fasher, Kordofan, and in Al Geizira, among others
• The declaration as persona non grata and expulsion of UN officials, from the last Secretary-General’s Special Representative to senior World Food Programme officials;
• the obstruction and politicization of humanitarian access and the use of starvation as a weapon of war;
• and threats and intimidation directed at mediators who are facilitating a humanitarian truce.

These actions directly undermine mediation efforts and the UN’s ability to protect civilians and deliver life-saving aid.

Amid the fog of war, one fact is beyond dispute: both sides have committed war crimes. This is not conjecture.

The atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces and its allies are well known and the evidence of crimes by the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied Islamist groups is mounting. This includes recent reports of systematic, ethnically motivated atrocities.

Mr. President,

The international community must not stand by as this ongoing civil war creates dangerous space for extremist and terrorist networks to regroup, recruit, and finance themselves, generating spillover risks for Sudan’s neighbors and the wider region.

As the QUAD’s Joint Statement of 12 September 2025 underscored, Sudan’s future cannot be dictated by violent extremist groups, including those part of, or linked to, the Muslim Brotherhood, whose destabilizing influence has fueled violence and instability across the region.

The Council should be clear that any path forward must deny these extremists groups space, resources, and legitimacy, and must be anchored in a genuine civilian-led transition, independent of either of the warring parties.

It is, however, telling that violence is still being used to silence calls for civilian governance, as we saw during the recent commemorations of the December Revolution.

Only an independent, civilian-led government can address the root causes of this conflict and prevent Sudan from remaining trapped in cycles of military rule, instability, and repression.

Today, there is a clear and immediate opportunity to act in the interest of the Sudanese people by implementing the humanitarian truce that the US and the QUAD have been calling for.

Lessons of history and present realities make it clear that unilateral efforts by either of the warring parties are not sustainable and will only prolong the war.

The immediate priority is for a humanitarian truce that enables safe, rapid, and unhindered delivery of aid across Sudan, and that leads directly to a permanent ceasefire and a pathway toward civilian rule, independent of the warring parties. The QUAD process, led by the United States, remains the most viable framework to achieve this.

The international community must align its efforts to press both warring parties to accept the truce on the table. If they refuse, this Council must be prepared to act.

It must use all tools at its disposal—including imposing a comprehensive arms embargo across all of Sudan, to stop the flow of weapons fueling this war.

Mr. President,

The UAE’s commitment to the Sudanese people is long-standing and unwavering. We will continue to work with regional and international partners to secure an immediate ceasefire and support a credible pathway toward lasting peace.

Thank you, Mr. President.