Speaker warns of widening violence in Sudan after 1,000 days of war, urges Security Council action

Rosemarie DeCarlo, addressing the assembly, said Sudan has reached "1000 days of staggering violence and unimaginable suffering" and urged the international community to act to prevent further atrocities.

DeCarlo said fighting has expanded in several states and described the security situation as fluid, noting recent shifts in front lines in North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. She warned that the use of long-range drones and aerial strikes by both parties "has become a defining feature of this conflict," with grave consequences for civilians and infrastructure.

"The state's capital, El Obeid, is besieged from 3 sides by the RSF," DeCarlo said, adding that ground fighting inside the city would have "catastrophic consequences" and undermine prospects for a ceasefire. She also reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces said they had broken sieges by Rapid Support Forces on Kadugli and Dilling.

DeCarlo raised the risk of regional spillover, citing that on Jan. 16 the government of Chad announced that seven Chadian soldiers were killed in a confrontation with RSF elements along the border; she said the RSF later described the clash as an "unintentional mistake." She also said reports indicate weapons continue to transit through Sudan's neighbors and that escalating rhetoric among neighboring states underscores regional instability risks.

Turning to past warnings, DeCarlo said the horrific events in El Fasher in October 2025 were preventable and that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights repeatedly sounded alarms about the risk of mass atrocities that were not heeded. "Reports indicate that sexual violence against women and girls was widespread," she said, and called for adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law and accountability for violations.

DeCarlo welcomed progress in an initiative led by Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States to secure a humanitarian truce, and she said she welcomed "ongoing discussions on potential United Nations support to the implementation of a humanitarian truce." She urged both parties to engage with that initiative "in good faith and without preconditions."

She also called for a political process to accompany any ceasefire, saying it must be "anchored in a credible political process" that allows an inclusive transition and ensures that voices from Sudan's diverse communities are heard. DeCarlo urged regional and international partners — including the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States and the United Nations — to coordinate and use their comparative advantages.

"The war has gone on this long and been this deadly in large part because of the support the parties have received from abroad," she said, and called for partners to cut off weapons flows and for "unified messaging and strong action by the Security Council." She said those who back the warring parties must face pressure and that perpetrators must be held to account.

The chair thanked DeCarlo for her briefing and gave the floor to Edem Wosono, marking the end of her remarks.