Delivered by: Ghasaq Shaheen, Political Coordinator

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

Check against delivery.

Mr. President,

At the outset, I thank Prosecutor Karim Khan for his briefing and welcome the participation of the representative of Sudan to our meeting today.

Mr. President,

We are deeply concerned with what we have witnessed in Sudan from an escalation in fighting, resulting in civilian casualties, including in Darfur region, which reflects the fragile security conditions caused by the clashes in the country. We condemn in the strongest terms these criminal acts as well as the burning of homes, public facilities, and hospitals, which have led to a total collapse of medical services and the influx of hundreds of families into neighboring countries.

We are also concerned by the negative repercussions of the security situation on ongoing humanitarian efforts in the country. This period requires the continuation of ceasefire initiatives and the redoubling of efforts to find an urgent political solution to this crisis.

The UAE therefore calls on the parties to heed to the voice of wisdom and reason, to stop the fighting immediately and to adhere to what has been agreed to in Jeddah. We also underscore the importance of respecting International Humanitarian Law and facilitating humanitarian assistance to meet the growing needs of the Sudanese people. In this context, the UAE provided humanitarian and medical support to alleviate the humanitarian situation caused by the Sudanese refugees’ influx into Chad due to the current situation.

Diplomatic efforts remain essential at this critical time, and we stress in this context the importance of coordinating international and regional efforts to ensure their effectiveness.

Mr. President,

Recalling the Press Statement agreed by the Security Council last month, it reminded the parties that the Juba Peace Agreement remains binding on all signatories and must be fully implemented, in particular its provisions on the permanent ceasefire in Darfur which also requires the necessary international support.

Finally, we take note of the Prosecutor’s statement and report, particularly with regard to the mandate of the Office pursuant to Security Council resolution 1593 (2005). In this regard, the UAE reaffirms its position that the principle of complementarity enshrined in the Court’s Statute must guide the work of the Court and its Prosecutor, and the objectives of complementarity must continue to be pursued as soon as the conditions for discussions on avenues of complementarity is feasible.

Thank you, Mr. President.