The Republic of Sudan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Office of the Spokesperson and Media Directorate
Press Statement
Reference is made to the announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France on what it had called the Ministerial Conference on the Humanitarian Situation in Sudan, to be hosted by it on April 15th, 2024. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan is astonished and dismayed that such a conference, on an issue concerning the Sudan; independent, sovereign and member state of the United Nations, is organized without prior consultation and coordination with or participation of its Government, the sole recognized representative of the country in international organizations and forums, and in terms of exchanging diplomatic representation with countries worldwide, including France itself. This act represents a grave disregard for international law, the United Nations Charter, and the principle of state sovereignty, the foundation of the contemporary international system. The Organizers of the aforementioned meeting, therefore, should be reminded that the international trusteeship system was liquidated decades ago. Actually it had never been applicable on the UN Member States, such as Sudan, an UN member since 1956.
Hiding behind the guise of neutrality between what the Organizers termed “two parties of the conflict” to justify ignoring Sudan in organizing this meeting is a worthless argument, unacceptable, and a dangerous precedent in international relations. This is because equating the legitimate Government and the Sudanese Armed Forces, the national professional army, on the one hand, and a multinational terrorist militia that is targeting the very State institution and perpetrating genocide, and worst violations of human rights, on the other, would undermine the foundations of regional and international security, as it emboldens similar terrorist movements in Africa and the Middle East to further escalate their criminal activities, so long as certain Western powers will use these crimes as pretexts to ignore the sovereignty and legitimate governments of the affected countries, in the name of ‘neutrality’.
Furthermore, it became known that the regional sponsors and political wing of the terrorist militia will participate in the meeting.
It is to be recalled in this context that the Government of Sudan, driven by its responsibility towards its people, has taken the lead in endeavours to mobilize the necessary international assistance to tackle the humanitarian crisis created by the aggression of the Militia and its external sponsors against the Sudanese people. At the initiative of the Government of Sudan and with participation of a number of brotherly and friendly countries, the International Conference on Humanitarian Assistance to Sudan was held in Geneva in June 2023, during which significant pledges of humanitarian assistance were made. In order to push the international community to fulfill these pledges, the High-level International Meeting was held at the UN Headquarters in New York in October 2023, a joint effort by the Government of Sudan and the UN. Nevertheless, so far, the percentage of fulfillment of these pledges has not exceeded 5%. In light of aforementioned , what is required is to honour previous pledges, instead of wasting resources and efforts in holding new conferences, which will be nothing more than a political and propaganda show. Moreover, the sponsors of the Militia might take advantage of the meeting to rebrand it and brush away its heinous crimes, obtaining licence continue to support it under the guise of humanitarian aid.
While the Government of Sudan renews its commitment to do its best to facilitate mobilisation and delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the country, it reiterates that the shortest way to end humanitarian suffering in Sudan is by obligating the Militia’s sponsors to stop supplying it with weapons, mercenaries, and financial support because it is only through this support, the Militia is able to continue and escalate its aggression against the Sudanese people. In the past few days the Militia has committed a series of massacres against civilians near El Fasher, South Kordofan, Al-Gazira, White Nile and Khartoum states.
There is equally a need for a firm position from the international community against the Militia’s declared threats to prevent humanitarian aid convoys via the safe routes agreed upon between Sudan and the UN, as it du by seizing the UNICEF and World Food Program vehicles carrying children nutrition and medicines designated for Internally Displaced Persons camps in North Darfur, to contain cases of malnutrition among children. The Militia had previously looted the largest warehouse of the WFP in Al-Gazira state and stolen food stuff meant to feed more than one and a half million people in need.
Nevertheless, it is not surprising at all that the Militia persists in its horrific crimes as long as Western powers continue to be lenient towards them, and remain silent on the Militia’s disavowal of the Jeddah platform agreed outcomes, which represent the practical framework for delivering humanitarian aid and protecting civilians.
It goes without saying that the Sudanese people alone have the right to manage their internal affairs, and to authorize whomever they choose to lead them towards achieving their aspirations for peace, democracy and development, without guardianship or interference from external powers, no matter how much they claim to be concerned for their safety and interests.
Those are the positions and sentiments that we expect our friends, brothers and sisters, and all justice and peace loving people who will attend the meeting to observe .