Sudan has been re-elected to the Executive Council of the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) until 2030, during the organization’s 27th General Assembly, held in Geneva on October 29. Sudan was represented by a delegation headed by its Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan.
During the General Assembly proceedings, the ambassador called for Sudan to be given priority in the organization’s upcoming programmes and urged support for the National Civil Defence Council through the provision of firefighting and rescue equipment, as well as the strengthening of early warning systems and emergency response rooms in the country’s states. He also praised the organization’s efforts in institutional reform, training development, and technical assistance.
In a separate development, Sudan’s Permanent Representative in Geneva briefed the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on systematic attacks targeting strategic civilian infrastructure in Sudan using drones. He accused the militia of carrying out these attacks with drones supplied by the United Arab Emirates and launched from Ethiopian territory, in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.
The briefing took place during a meeting with Maariit Kohanin Sharif, the Acting Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, and senior aides responsible for the Sudan file. During the meeting, he handed her a strongly worded official memorandum accompanied by a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
For her part, the UN official confirmed that the Office was monitoring, through its country office in Sudan, the escalation of drone attacks against civilian facilities, including electricity and energy stations and markets, and the resulting deterioration in the suffering of civilians. She indicated that the Office intended to include these developments in its periodic report due in November.
Through its membership in the Executive Council of the International Civil Defence Organization, Sudan continues to strengthen technical cooperation, training, and the exchange of expertise in support of efforts to rehabilitate civil defence facilities, restore services, and protect citizens.
