Co-Chairs' Statement following the Ministerial Meeting on Coordinating Efforts for De-Escalation in Sudan

Co-Chairs statement:

"Building on the Sudan conferences in Paris (15 April 2024) and London (15 April 2025), we, the representatives of the African Union and the European Union and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, convened in New York the ministers and representatives of Canada, Chad, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, IGAD, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the League of Arab States, Libya, Norway, Qatar, South Sudan, Switzerland, Türkiye, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations and the United States, in order to address the situation in Sudan and coordinate our efforts towards de-escalation and the protection of civilians in Sudan.

"Recognizing that Sudan is the most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world, with over two thirds of its population, 30 million people, in need of assistance, 24 million people facing acute food insecurity and needs rising;

"Considering that the ongoing conflict has a devastating impact on civilians, especially women and children and that the suffering they have endured for two and a half years now is intolerable and constitutes a major threat to the very future of Sudan and the entire region:

1. "We urge the warring parties to resume direct negotiations to achieve a permanent ceasefire and we stand ready to take further action to support its conclusion and implementation.

2. "We express support to an agreement on the protection of critical infrastructure, in response to the facilitation led by the European Union, and call on the warring parties to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of civilians.

3. "We welcome the joint statement, issued on 12 September by the Quad, regarding ending the conflict in Sudan and express support to the African Union and IGAD's efforts to coordinate international and bilateral efforts to press all Sudanese parties towards a ceasefire, humanitarian action and political dialogue, while working with partners such as the European Union, the League of Arab States, and the United Nations.

4. "We strongly condemn the military involvement of foreign state and non-state actors in the conflict; we urge them to refrain from fueling the conflict, notably through the provision of military equipment and financial support, and to comply with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556 (2004).

5. "We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, at a time when it is seriously threatened. We strongly reject the establishment of parallel governing structures, as well as all actions that jeopardize the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people. The Sudanese people should decide on their political future through a genuinely inclusive, transparent and credible Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned transition process, to restore legitimate civilian rule.

6. "We strongly condemn the violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the warring parties and call on them to respect their obligations and commitments under the Jeddah Declaration.

7. "We reiterate our support for the work of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan and for the International Criminal Court to hold all perpetrators of international crimes and atrocities accountable.

8. "We strongly call on the warring parties to implement a humanitarian pause in El-Fasher, as proposed by the United Nations, and to comply with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024).

9. "We welcome the extension of the Adré border-crossing point until December 2025. We exhort the warring parties to allow and facilitate full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, via all necessary cross-border and cross-line routes, to the entire Sudanese territory regardless of a ceasefire, including by authorizing the indefinite opening of the Adré border-crossing point and by authorizing the sustained humanitarian international presence of the United Nations and other organizations in all parts of Darfur and the Kordofans.

10. "We pledge to continue our financial and diplomatic contribution to the humanitarian response in support of civilian populations inside Sudan and refugees in neighboring countries. We furthermore commend the exceptional support from refugee-hosting countries and local communities, and the action of humanitarian workers, including local responders."