A3 JOINT-STATEMENT AT THE UNSC BRIEFING ON SUDAN

  Delivered by

H.E. Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman

Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations

19th February 2026

Madam President,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3—namely, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and my own country, Somalia.

2. At the outset, we thank the United Kingdom for convening this important high-level meeting at a critical juncture for Sudan.

3. We thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Director Edem Wosornu for their sobering and timely briefings. 

4. We also take note of the intervention by Ms. Hala Alkarib, whose testimony reminds us of the human dimension of this conflict.

5. What is unfolding in Sudan is not only a humanitarian emergency. 

6. It is a collapse of protection, a collapse of accountability, and, increasingly, a collapse of hope for millions of civilians trapped in violence they did not choose.

7. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate at an alarming pace. 

8. Millions face acute hunger, displacement, and the breakdown of essential services. 

9. Entire communities remain cut off from assistance. 

10. Famine conditions are no longer a distant risk—they are an imminent reality for many.

11. In this regard, we welcome the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for Sudan held in Washington in February 2026, which mobilized critical pledges to support life-saving operations. 

12. We commend the leadership of the United Nations, including OCHA and its humanitarian partners, as well as WFP and other agencies, who continue to operate under extraordinarily dangerous conditions.

13. We stress in the strongest terms the importance of protecting civilians, critical infrastructure, humanitarian personnel, and facilities. 

14. The targeting of humanitarian operations and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable. 

15. We condemn attacks on humanitarian assets, including the recent attack on a World Food Programme convoy, attributed to RSF elements, which further undermines already fragile humanitarian lifelines.

16. Humanitarian actors must be able to operate safely, rapidly, and without obstruction. 

17. This requires not only access, but resources. 

18. The scale of suffering demands a substantial and sustained increase in humanitarian funding, commensurate with the gravity of the crisis.

19. In this context, in observance of the holy month of Ramadan, we underscore the urgent need for a cessation of hostilities, which would allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and provide much-needed respite to civilians who have endured immense suffering. 

20. The values of this sacred time—peace, mercy, and unity—should guide all efforts toward de-escalation. 

21. We urge restraint, the silencing of guns, and actions that honor the spirit of Ramadan.

Madam President,

22. Accountability must remain central.

23. Credible and independent findings, including satellite-based documentation and investigative reporting, have confirmed widespread atrocities. 

24. Civilians have been deliberately targeted. 

25. Entire communities have been subjected to systematic violence.

26. The A3 condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces, including mass killings, sexual violence, attacks against civilians, and other grave violations of international humanitarian law.

27. When truth can be documented from orbit—when destruction is visible from the sky—then impunity on the ground becomes indefensible.

28. This Council cannot remain passive in the face of such evidence. 

29. We encourage ongoing efforts within the Council to activate its tools, including the sanctions regime established under resolution 1591, to promote accountability and deter further violations.

Madam President,

30. There is no military solution to this conflict. 

31. Only dialogue, political engagement, and a Sudanese-led process can lead to sustainable peace.

32. In this regard, the A3 welcomes the presentation of the Sudanese National Initiative for Peace by the Prime Minister of the Transitional Government of Sudan before this Council on 22 December 2025, as an important step toward a Sudanese-owned pathway out of the crisis.

33. We also welcome the reopening of Khartoum airport and the return of the Government to the capital, which represent important developments toward restoring State institutions and normalcy.

34. We commend the continued diplomatic engagement of regional and international partners, including the efforts of the United States, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in facilitating dialogue.

35. We further underscore the central role of the African Union, in coordination with the United Nations, including the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy. 

36. Ensuring complementarity, coherence, and streamlining of mediation tracks remains essential to advancing a unified and effective political process.

Madam President,

37. External interference continues to fuel and prolong the conflict.

38. The instruments of destruction we see in Sudan—the drones, the weapons, and the ammunition—are not produced within Sudan. 

39. They are supplied and sustained by external actors whose actions have contributed directly to the continuation of violence.

40. This Council must do its part to halt these flows, deter further external interference, and ensure accountability for those who enable the continuation of the conflict.

Madam President,

41. The suffering of Sudan’s people is no longer hidden. 

42. It is visible. It is documented. 

43. It is undeniable.

44. The Sudanese people deserve protection.

45. They deserve accountability.

46. They deserve peace.

47. The A3 remains committed to supporting all efforts toward these objectives.

I thank you.