The Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States), along with the High Representative of the European Union, have condemned the ongoing conflict, atrocities, and gross human rights violations in Sudan.
In a statement marking two years since the outbreak of war in Sudan, the G7 foreign ministers said that the Sudanese people—especially women and children—are suffering from one of the world’s largest crises of displacement and violence. They pointed to the continuation of atrocities, including widespread conflict-related sexual violence, ethnically motivated attacks, and retaliatory killings. The statement added, “These acts must end immediately.”
The statement also denounced the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attacks in and around El Fasher, specifically targeting the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps, which resulted in numerous casualties, including humanitarian workers. It emphasized the need to protect civilians and ensure their safe passage.
“As famine continues to spread across Sudan,” the statement continued, “the G7 members are deeply concerned by reports of starvation being used as a method of warfare and reaffirm that such acts are prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
The warring parties were called upon to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law and under the Jeddah Declaration, including the critical responsibility to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military targets.
All parties to the conflict were urged to remove barriers to the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance across front lines, to ensure the safety and security of both local and international humanitarian actors, and to allow humanitarian aid to enter Sudan through all border crossings, including from South Sudan and Chad. The crucial role of emergency coordination rooms was acknowledged.
The statement also urged all parties to refrain from attacking vital infrastructure relied upon by civilians, including dams and communication systems.
It called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and encouraged both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to engage meaningfully in serious and constructive negotiations. The statement added, “All external actors must cease any support that could further fuel the conflict, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles adopted at the 2024 International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighboring Countries in Paris, and the UN arms embargo on Darfur.”
The statement concluded, “For sustainable peace in Sudan, any solution to the conflict must be rooted in the voices of Sudanese civilians. Women, youth, and civil society must be meaningfully involved in all peace processes.”
