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STORY: UN / SUDAN
TRT: 04:53
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 30 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations
30 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, United Nations:
“The conflict in Sudan has deteriorated even further. It has caused widespread suffering and new surges of horrific violence. After more than 500 days under siege, the city of El Fasher in North Darfur has been captured by the Rapid Support Forces. Only small pockets of resistance remain.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Other parts of the country have not been spared from the relentless violence. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified in the Kordofan region. This is likely the next arena of military focus for the warring parties. In North Kordofan, the city of Bara, just 40 kilometers from the state capital of El Obeid and a strategic location for both sides, was captured by the Rapid Support Forces last week. This marked another escalation on the ground. Drone strikes by both parties are also affecting new territories and new targets. These include Blue Nile, Khartoum, Sennar, South Kordofan and West Darfur, suggesting that the territorial scope of the conflict is broadening.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, United Nations:
“The risk of mass atrocities, ethnically targeted violence and further violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, remains alarmingly high across the country, and particularly in El Fasher. The situation is simply horrifying.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Communications have been cut off. The situation is chaotic. In this context, it is difficult to estimate the number of civilians killed. Despite commitments to protect civilians, the reality is that no one is safe in El Fasher.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Reports and warnings about the unfolding catastrophe in El Fasher have been issued for months. Thus far, the Unted Nations Security Council has not taken decisive action to prevent the situation from deteriorating. We must all play our part in helping to bring this devastating war to an end.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
“Stop arming this violence and insist that stopping this conflict is more important than any narrow political or commercial interests. Those who want to leave El Fasher must be able to do so safely. Those who remain must be protected. There must be accountability for those carrying out the killing and the sexual violence. For those giving the orders. And those providing the weapons should consider their responsibility.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
“Humanitarians simply asking that we be allowed to do our jobs and save lives is not working. You must demand that we are able to operate everywhere, including by deploying national and international staff into areas of greatest need. We ask you to use your muscle to create genuine pressure to ensure this.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations:
“In this context, I am furious that the World Food Programme’s Country Director and Emergency Coordinator have been expelled by the Sudanese authorities, without explanation.”
18. Med shot, Sudanese Ambassador
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sudan:
“We affirm that the World Food Program supports the Sudan and that the decision to evict some of those persons who work for the program doesn't reflect on a relationship with the program. We are, we are determined to facilitate Mr. Fletcher's work in the Sudan.”
20. Wide shot, Security Council
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sudan:
“I want to be clear: there will be no negotiation with this terrorist militia unless it lays down its arms and ceases its aggression against the Sudanese people.”
22. Wide shot, Security Council
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee said that the situation in Sudan is “simply horrifying.”
Briefing the Security Council today (30 Jun) Pobee said that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra has invited both parties, the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, to separately enter into technical talks with the UN, focused on de-escalation and the protection of civilians.
She added that both parties have shown encouraging signs of their willingness to engage.
She reported, “The conflict in Sudan has deteriorated even further. It has caused widespread suffering and new surges of horrific violence. After more than 500 days under siege, the city of El Fasher in North Darfur has been captured by the Rapid Support Forces. Only small pockets of resistance remain.”
She continued, “Other parts of the country have not been spared from the relentless violence. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified in the Kordofan region. This is likely the next arena of military focus for the warring parties. In North Kordofan, the city of Bara, just 40 kilometers from the state capital of El Obeid and a strategic location for both sides, was captured by the Rapid Support Forces last week. This marked another escalation on the ground. Drone strikes by both parties are also affecting new territories and new targets. These include Blue Nile, Khartoum, Sennar, South Kordofan and West Darfur, suggesting that the territorial scope of the conflict is broadening.”
She stressed, “The risk of mass atrocities, ethnically targeted violence and further violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, remains alarmingly high across the country, and particularly in El Fasher. The situation is simply horrifying.”
She highlighted, “Communications have been cut off. The situation is chaotic. In this context, it is difficult to estimate the number of civilians killed. Despite commitments to protect civilians, the reality is that no one is safe in El Fasher.”
Pobee urged Member States with leverage over the parties to encourage them to take this critical step and called on the Security Council to use all tools available to demand peace in Sudan.
She said, “Reports and warnings about the unfolding catastrophe in El Fasher have been issued for months. Thus far, the Unted Nations Security Council has not taken decisive action to prevent the situation from deteriorating. We must all play our part in helping to bring this devastating war to an end.”
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, also briefed the Council, describing the horrific humanitarian situation in El Fasher.
He said that the Sudan crisis is fundamentally a failure of protection, and of our responsibility to uphold international law. The violence extends beyond Darfur as well.
Fletcher noted that across Sudan, and despite the massive threats, cuts, and constraints to our work, the humanitarian community has reached 13.5 million people between January and August.
He said, “Stop arming this violence and insist that stopping this conflict is more important than any narrow political or commercial interests. Those who want to leave El Fasher must be able to do so safely. Those who remain must be protected. There must be accountability for those carrying out the killing and the sexual violence. For those giving the orders. And those providing the weapons should consider their responsibility.”
He also said, “Humanitarians simply asking that we be allowed to do our jobs and save lives is not working. You must demand that we are able to operate everywhere, including by deploying national and international staff into areas of greatest need. We ask you to use your muscle to create genuine pressure to ensure this.”
In this context, he added, “I am furious that the World Food Programme’s Country Director and Emergency Coordinator have been expelled by the Sudanese authorities, without explanation.”
Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations affirmed that the World Food Program “supports the Sudan and that the decision to evict some of those persons who work for the program doesn't reflect on a relationship with the program. We are, we are determined to facilitate Mr. Fletcher's work in the Sudan.”
He concluded, “I want to be clear: there will be no negotiation with this terrorist militia unless it lays down its arms and ceases its aggression against the Sudanese people.”
After the meeting, the members of the Security Council issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the violence in and around El Fasher.
