Tánaiste signs Joint Statement Condemning Atrocities and Violations of International Humanitarian Law in Sudan

This joint statement expresses deep alarm over reports of systematic violence against civilians in Sudan following the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the escalating conflict in North Darfur and Kordofan. It is endorsed by foreign ministers and senior officials from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and supported by Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland.

The Signatories are gravely alarmed by the reports of systematic and ongoing violence against civilians during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as well as the escalation of conflict across North Darfur and the Kordofan region.

Deliberate targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated mass killings, conflict-related sexual violence, starvation as a method of warfare, and obstruction of humanitarian access are abhorrent violations of international humanitarian law.

Such acts, if substantiated, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law.

We condemn all atrocities in the strongest possible terms and demand that the violence stops immediately. We acknowledge the important work to document the nature of violations committed by the RSF in El Fasher. Impunity must end and accountability must be upheld. Protection and justice for the Sudanese people is not only a legal obligation but also an urgent moral imperative.

It is intolerable that widespread starvation and famine persist due to access restrictions. WFP, UNICEF, and other humanitarian agencies must get the necessary permissions to conduct their life-saving work and reach populations in need.

All parties must respect international humanitarian law, which includes an obligation to guarantee rapid and unimpeded passage of food, medicine, and other essential supplies. Civilians must also be granted safe passage. We call on the parties to immediately facilitate this in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2736.

We also call on the parties to the conflict to agree to a ceasefire and a three-month humanitarian truce, as outlined in the Quad statement.

We are concerned about attempts to partition Sudan and reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the country and for the right of its people to live in peace, dignity, and justice without external interference.

We call on the parties to come to the negotiating table. Only a broad and inclusive Sudanese-owned political process can resolve Sudan's challenges.

This statement has been signed by:

Åsmund Aukrust, Minister for International Development of Norway

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia

Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium

The Honorable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

Mr Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

Dr Johann David Wadephul, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

Xavier Bettel, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxemburg

Aukje de Vries, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of the Netherlands

H.E. Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovak Republic

Ms. Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia

H.E José Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain

Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone, State Secretary for Development Policy of Denmark

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

Austria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czechia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic), Finland, Latvia, Poland (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland), Romania and Switzerland

ENDS

Press Office

10 November 2025