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STORY: UN / SUDAN LAMAMRA INTERVIEW
TRT: 07:16
SOURCE: UN NEWS ARABIC
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 27 FEBRUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters
27 FEBRUARY 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
2. Wide shot, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra and interviewer
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ramtane Lamamra, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan:
“First and foremost, the responsibility to bring peace to Sudan is the responsibility of the Sudanese people themselves. So, they have that duty and even if the international community is not as committed as it should be, the Sudanese still have the overall and the pressing responsibility to take charge of their destiny as a people and as a country. So, we certainly consider that there is no exemption when it comes to the responsibility to take charge of their destiny. Having said that, the responsibility of the international community is not to consider that the Sudanese war can be neglected because there are other places in the world which call for the attention also of the Security Council, and the big powers on Earth, and so on and so forth. We do respect to all issues and all the conflictual situations throughout the world. We believe that the Sudanese crisis is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world nowadays. We believe also that a situation in which eleven million displaced persons are outside of their homes; two to three million refugees are outside the borders of their country. We believe that such a situation calls for a big mobilization, additional efforts to be made, while acknowledging, of course, that a lot of things have been already made. But that's clearly insufficient. It's not enough, given the scope of the needs, and given also the seriousness of the impact on the lives of the people of Sudan, we certainly hope that as the international community represented by the UN shows that we need to be there and that whatever the challenges are, the United Nations remains committed and the number of people are there presenting, offering services to the needy population of Sudan. But the most important thing that the international community is now called to do would be to further mobilize all efforts with a view to bringing the parties to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis. What we need is the end of the war; is peace to prevail in Sudan, so that the pressing and needs of today would become just something secondary, compared with the fact that the right to life would have been satisfied throughout the country and in a peaceful manner.”
4. Wide shot, Lamamra and interviewer
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramtane Lamamra, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan:
“The Secretary-General has expressed regret over this development, stating that it may have been premature and not preceded by the necessary conditions to make it a joint step with other actors, including the Sudanese government. Furthermore, it came before exhausting the possible options for a technocratic government to bring together as many Sudanese people as possible, regardless of their political affiliations. A technocratic government could be a viable solution if the necessary conditions are met and if a number of benevolent and patriotic Sudanese individuals step forward, declaring their readiness to take on this existential challenge. Solving Sudan's predicament and the end of this crisis require sacrifices and truly deserve that the honourable sons of Sudan sacrifice some of their comfort or interests to contribute to extricating their country from this catastrophic crisis. Thus, according to Mr. António Guterres's statement, anything that widens the gap between the Sudanese instead of uniting them is undesirable.”
6. Wide shot, Lamamra and interviewer
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ramtane Lamamra, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan:
“My message is a message of brotherhood. A message with the values of Islam that are valued by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Those concerned must always follow the teachings of true Islam and appreciate the sanctity of human life. Our hope is that our brothers will seize this opportunity to think about a Ramadan free of violence, a Ramadan filled with brotherhood and the aspiration for a better future.”
8. Wide shot, Lamamra and interviewer
As the war in Sudan approaches a second year, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the country has emphasized the need to re-double and coordinate efforts towards a peace agreement that respects national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity – and ending the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
In an exclusive interview with UN News’s Arabic service in New York, Ramtane Lamamra stressed that
the Sudanese people are sovereign and have the final say in their future.
He said the Sudanese “have that duty and even if the international community is not as committed as it should be, the Sudanese still have the overall and the pressing responsibility to take charge of their destiny as a people and as a country.”
On the role of the international community, Lamamra said the Sudanese crisis “is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world nowadays” and “such a situation calls for a big mobilization, additional efforts to be made.”
More than 12 million people have fled to safety, whether elsewhere in the country or across the border. Famine has been confirmed in ten locations, and another 17 are on the brink.
The Special Envoy stressed that “the most important thing that the international community is now called to do would be to further mobilize all efforts with a view to bringing the parties to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis.”
He said, “what we need is the end of the war; is peace to prevail in Sudan, so that the pressing and needs of today would become just something secondary, compared with the fact that the right to life would have been satisfied throughout the country and in a peaceful manner.”
Regarding the recent developments in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, where political and military groups signed a declaration expressing their intention to establish a governing authority in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lamamra said, “the Secretary-General has expressed regret over this development, stating that it may have been premature and not preceded by the necessary conditions to make it a joint step with other actors, including the Sudanese government.”
Furthermore, he added, “it came before exhausting the possible options for a technocratic government to bring together as many Sudanese people as possible, regardless of their political affiliations.”
The Special Envoy said, “solving Sudan's predicament and the end of this crisis require sacrifices and truly deserve that the honourable sons of Sudan sacrifice some of their comfort or interests to contribute to extricating their country from this catastrophic crisis,” thus, “anything that widens the gap between the Sudanese instead of uniting them is undesirable.”
Lamamra underscored the critical need to prioritize the protection of civilians, reiterating the Secretary-General’s call for a cessation of hostilities during the Holy Month of Ramadan, which begins this Friday evening.
He said, “my message is a message of brotherhood. A message with the values of Islam that are valued by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Those concerned must always follow the teachings of true Islam and appreciate the sanctity of human life. Our hope is that our brothers will seize this opportunity to think about a Ramadan free of violence, a Ramadan filled with brotherhood and the aspiration for a better future.”
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a powerful formerly allied paramilitary group called the RSF erupted in April 2023, causing widespread death, destruction and displacement.
