22.12.2025 Statement by Denmark at the UNSC briefing on Sudan

Thank you, Mr President.

We thank ASG Khiari, Director Wosornu and Cameron Hudson for their clear briefings. We also welcome all representatives to the meeting. Denmark aligns itself with the profound concern expressed by the briefers about the catastrophic evolution of the war in Sudan.

The people of Sudan are paying an unbearable price. Last week, over a hundred people including 43 children, were reported killed in a horrifying attack on a hospital and kindergarten in South Kordofan. These are not isolated incidents. The cries of the Sudanese people have for too long been met by weapons and violence. This simply cannot continue. We have also recently seen a drone attack on UNISFA peacekeepers in Kadugli, which led to the tragic loss of six peacekeepers. We condemn this in the strongest terms and call for a comprehensive investigation.

Mr. President, this situation simply cannot continue.

I have three messages.

First,

This war is a struggle between armed actors, who have shown scant regard for Sudan’s civilians. There is still no ceasefire, nor a credible, unified political process towards a civilian-led transition, free from coercion of armed actors. There is no willingness for warring parties to come to the negotiating table.

We implore the warring parties to immediately agree on a ceasefire, and create space for a genuine, inclusive civilian-led process capable of preserving Sudan’s unity and lifting the country out of this tragedy.

To external actors who continue to supply arms or provide other forms of military support, we urge you to stop fuelling this war. You must comply with the arms embargo issued by this Council. Thousands have died and millions of innocent people continue to suffer.

We support efforts of regional and international mediators including the AU, UN, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the EU, and the Quad.

These efforts must respond both to the needs of the Sudanese people and to the lack of political will by the parties to silence the guns. This requires a unified diplomatic front by the international community, consolidation of mediation tracks, targeted sanctions, no external military interference and real accountability. Civilian voices including womenmust be central.

Mr. President my second point,

Front lines have expanded from Darfur into large parts of Kordofan and beyond. The fall of El Fasher to the RSF, after more than 500 days of siege, accompanied by reports of systematic killings, sexual and gender-based violence and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure, was in brazen defiance of resolution 2736 and international law.

We strongly condemn the RSF for these attacks, which must be comprehensively investigated, with full accountability for those responsible, including through targeted sanctions. The European Union has adopted restrictive sanctions against the RSF’s second in command.

These events represent only a fraction of the atrocities committed. We stress that all perpetrators must be held to account for grave violations, regardless of affiliation.

Mr President my final and third point,

Nearly 14 million people, a quarter of the population of Sudan, have been forced to flee their homes, either internally or into neighbouring countries.

Famine continues to spiral in El Fasher and Kadugli, as markets collapse, livelihoods are destroyed and access to basic services disappears. This disaster is compounded by lack of adequate funding. We pay tribute to neighbouring countries who have kept their borders open hosting millions of refugees.

We continue to urge warring parties to lift access restrictions and provide unconditional security guarantees for humanitarian actors, as well as to allow safe and unhindered passage for civilians fleeing violence. We urge the Sudanese authorities to keep the Adre border crossing open as it is, a lifeline for millions of civilians in Darfur.

Mr. President in closing,

This brutal war has been ongoing for too long. We urge the warring parties to respect the commitments set out by this Council and take genuine action to put Sudan on a path to peace.

I thank you.