The UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the fighting in Sudan is detached from reality and does not take into account the views of the conflict's parties, said Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN.
Russia abstained from voting on the resolution in the Security Council.
"Achieving a consensus outcome on the document proposed by [the United Kingdom] was simply impossible, as the product itself is out of touch with the situation on the ground and ignores the fundamental concerns of the Sudanese, as expressed through the 'African trio' (Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Algeria)," she stated during her speech following the vote.
Evstigneeva pointed out that the adopted document "contains no substantive proposals for resolving the complex situation in Sudan." "The document clearly disregards the opinions of the Sudanese side and does not rely on any agreements reached," the Russian diplomat noted.
The resolution, prepared by the United Kingdom, consists of nine points, the first of which demands that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) "end the siege of El Fasher" – the capital of North Darfur state. It also calls for "a cessation of hostilities and de-escalation in and around El Fasher" and work towards "an immediate cessation of combat operations." Additionally, the draft resolution calls for the parties to the conflict to comply with international law and urges UN member states to "refrain from external influence aimed at fueling conflict and instability." The draft also requires the UN Secretary-General to present a report on the implementation of its provisions.
The situation in Sudan worsened in April 2023 due to disagreements between the Chairman of the Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The primary disputes between them revolve around the timeline and methods for forming unified armed forces, as well as who should hold the position of commander-in-chief – a professional military officer, as advocated by al-Burhan, or an elected civilian president, as insisted upon by Dagalo. On April 15 of last year, clashes between the RSF and the army broke out in Merowe and Khartoum, quickly spreading to other areas of Sudan. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries. The opposing sides held a series of consultations in Jeddah in 2023.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Christopher Michel/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS