Guterres urges immediate ceasefire and Security Council action for accountability in Sudan

At a press conference in Addis Ababa, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. is "very actively engaged" with the African Union, the Arab League, the Quad and other actors to press for an immediate and unrestricted ceasefire in Sudan.

Asked about allegations that Rapid Support Forces committed violations amounting to war crimes in North Darfur, Guterres said the challenge is that both sides "believe that they can win the war," and that some external actors are "feeding that war" by supplying arms. He said that these dynamics make negotiations and peacebuilding more difficult.

Guterres called for a Sudanese-led process toward a new civilian democratic government and said he hopes the Security Council will act to secure "true accountability in relation to all the crimes that have been committed until now." He described some of the crimes as "horrendous," singled out particularly horrific incidents, and said the carnage in Sudan is "totally intolerable in the 21st century."

On an earlier question about Italy's role, Guterres said pressure should be placed on the parties to the conflict and on countries that arm them, and welcomed a declaration by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing commitment to stronger ties with Africa.

The Secretary-General's comments were responses to reporters' questions; the press conference did not record any formal new UN enforcement measures or Security Council votes. Guterres said effective accountability would require action at the level of member states and the Security Council.