Sudan: UNSC to discuss protection of civilians & humanitarian consequences of ongoing conflict in N. Kordofan, Blue Nile. 200K displaced across Kordofan

From Security Council Report

What's In Blue 
Posted Friday 21 August 2026 - excerpts:

Sudan: Briefing

On Monday morning (24 August), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on Sudan. Denmark, the Council president in August, requested the meeting to discuss the protection of civilians and the humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict. Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, is expected to chair the meeting. [...]

DiCarlo is likely to provide an overview of the deteriorating security situation, which has been particularly volatile in North Kordofan state. El Obeid, the state capital, has faced mounting pressure amid a significant build-up of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters around the city. Repeated drone strikes have targeted critical civilian infrastructure in and around El Obeid, including power and fuel facilities, forcing medical facilities and water stations to shut down. As the hostilities have continued, displacement sites in the city have expanded with people fleeing violence in surrounding areas. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 200,000 people have been displaced across the wider Kordofan region since late 2025. (For more information, see our 4 August What’s in Blue story.)

In Blue Nile state, the security and humanitarian situation deteriorated following the expansion of fighting around the town of Kurmuk and other areas along the Ethiopian border. After the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook control of Kurmuk from the RSF in July, media reports indicated that the SAF had discovered a mass grave containing the remains of 25 people, including women, children, and hospital staff. Earlier this month, hostilities broke out again in both Kurmuk and the town of Geisan, killing civilians and driving displacement. Media reports indicated that the RSF, together with the allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, had retaken the towns. The fighting has raised concerns about the further regionalisation of the conflict, particularly amid allegations of external support to the RSF. These include claims that Ethiopian territory has been used as a supply conduit for RSF operations and that the latest RSF offensive in Blue Nile was launched from inside Ethiopia.

On Monday, the briefers and some Council members may highlight how the increasing use of drones and other advanced weaponry is intensifying civilian suffering and expanding the geographic reach of the conflict. Attacks are increasingly affecting populated areas and critical infrastructure. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), armed drones accounted for 80 percent of civilian deaths in the first half of this year, hitting markets, health facilities, and other civilian sites.

DiCarlo might describe the efforts by regional and international interlocutors to identify avenues for de-escalation and bring an end to the conflict. In late July and early August, the Quintet—comprising the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the UN—held consultations in Addis Ababa with Sudanese political blocs and parties, including representatives of the Coordination of National Forces, Democratic Bloc, National Movement Forces, and Umma Party. The latest discussions built on the Quintet’s initial engagement with a group of Sudanese civilian actors on the sidelines of the third international Sudan conference, held in Berlin on 15 April, and further consultations in early June.

On 10 August, media reports indicated that SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had held consultations with political and civil society actors aimed at preparing for a comprehensive intra-Sudanese dialogue conference. The discussions reportedly resulted in agreement on several confidence-building measures, including the suspension of charges carrying the death penalty against some political figures—mainly those associated with former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok—and on the establishment of a preparatory committee for the conference.

On 16 and 17 August, a delegation of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) undertook a field visit to Sudan, during which it met with senior Sudanese officials, including Burhan and Transitional Prime Minister Kamil El-Tayeb Idris. Discussions covered the country’s political, security, socioeconomic, and humanitarian situation, as well as governance challenges and efforts towards an inclusive national dialogue. The AU has sought to reopen its liaison office in Sudan to facilitate engagement with stakeholders at different levels and provide technical support to the country. (Sudan’s membership in the AU was suspended in the wake of the country’s 2021 military coup d’état.) [...]

View original: 

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2026/08/sudan-briefing-8.php

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Further reading

Madamasr.com - August 21, 2026

Sudan Nashra: Burhan offers temporary immunity for internal dialogue participants | AU Peace, Security Council in Khartoum | Khartoum, Riyadh establish bilateral coordination council | Second-largest single group RSF defection arrive in Northern State

Photo: TSC Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and a delegation from the African Union’s Peace and Security Council meet in Khartoum, August 16. Courtesy: The TSC

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2026/08/21/news/politics/sudan-nashra-burhan-offers-temporary-immunity-for-internal-dialogue-participants-au-peace-security-council-in-khartoum-khartoum-riyadh-establish-bilateral-coordination-council-second-largest/

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Madamasr.com - August 14, 2026

Sudan Nashra: In cross-border offensive, RSF seizes Blue Nile’s Geisan, recaptures Kurmuk | Military repels major RSF attack on North Kordofan’s Gabra al-Sheikh | After clashes inside Kauda, SPLM-N-Otoro fighting spreads to nearby villages | Kordofan governor in RSF-led govt defects | Back-to-back Sudanese visits to Juba in mutual push to contain border, Abyei tensions

Photo: RSF fighters and their allies, the SPLM-N (Hilu) forces led by Joseph Toka, attack the town of Geisan in Blue Nile state, August 11. Courtesy: Sudan War Monitor

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2026/08/14/news/politics/sudan-nashra-in-cross-border-offensive-rsf-seizes-blue-niles-geisan-recaptures-kurmuk-military-repels-major-rsf-attack-on-north-kordofans-gabra-al-sheikh-after-clashes-inside/

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South Sudan: UNSC Briefing and Consultations

THE security situation has remained tense since clashes erupted in March. 

The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has continued operations, including ground offensive and aerial bombardments against opposition-held areas and other armed groups, including in the Greater Upper Nile and Greater Equatoria regions. 

The ceasefire agreed to in the revitalised agreement has effectively collapsed, with force unification stalled amid ongoing SSPDF offensives, as well as defections to and recruitment by the SSPDF. 

Intercommunal violence has further aggravated insecurity, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, according to the Secretary-General’s report.

At Monday’s meeting, several Council members are expected to raise the country’s dire humanitarian situation, including rising food insecurity. 

These challenges have been compounded by flooding and a collapsing healthcare system amid a severe cholera outbreak. 

The country also continues to grapple with the adverse humanitarian, security, and economic effects of the ongoing fighting in Sudan and the resulting influx of refugees and South Sudanese returnees.

Impediments to humanitarian access, including attacks on humanitarian workers and looting of humanitarian assets, are another matter of concern for Council members.

Read more in Security Council Report

By What's In Blue 
Dated Friday 15 August 2025

South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/08/south-sudan-briefing-and-consultations-28.php

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Sudan: UN Security Council closed consultations may discuss measures to support protection of civilians

TOMORROW'S UN Security Council briefing and consultations "may provide a good opportunity for Council members to examine and have a frank discussion about potential measures that could be implemented to support PoC [protection of civilians] as well as assess existing strategies. 

In a communiqué adopted following a 9 October meeting, AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) members requested the AU Commission (the organisation’s secretariat) to reopen the AU liaison office in Port Sudan in order to facilitate the AU’s engagement with stakeholders in Sudan at all levels and to provide technical support to Sudan.

Amidst mounting protection concerns, several human rights organisations and Sudanese civil society actors have advocated for robust measures, including the deployment of protection forces in Sudan. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, established by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2023, recommended in its 6 September report the deployment of an independent and impartial force with a PoC mandate in Sudan.

On 18 October, the Secretary-General submitted his report (S/2024/759) pursuant to resolution 2736 of 13 June, which requested him to make recommendations for the protection of civilians (PoC) in Sudan. 

In a 25 October joint statement, officials from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF called for intensifying the international response to match the scale of rising needs in Sudan. The reality on the ground, they said, “remains fraught with logistical and administrative barriers”, which have hindered the UN’s ability to provide aid and protection to vulnerable communities as well as effectively monitor the delivery of aid. They called for simplifying and expediting approval procedures for aid shipments and personnel, including facilitating cross-line access. The officials also called for re-establishing the UN offices in Zalingei, Central Darfur, and Kadugli, South Kordofan." 

Read more from What's In Blue 

Dated Sunday, 27 October 2024 - full copy:

Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

Tomorrow morning (28 October), the Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Sudan. The meeting is being held pursuant to resolution 2715 of 1 December 2023, which requested the Secretary-General to provide a briefing every 120 days on the “UN’s efforts to support Sudan on its path towards peace and stability”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and a civil society representative are expected to brief in the open chamber. Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Edem Wosornu and Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra will brief in the consultations.

Eighteen months into the conflict, hostilities continue unabated as the warring parties engage in a protracted war of attrition. Over the past several weeks, fighting intensified across multiple front lines as the rainy season subsided. In September, there was a severe escalation in El Fasher—the capital of North Darfur state, which has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since May—after the RSF launched a coordinated attack on the city, followed by intensive shelling and airstrikes from both sides, resulting in civilian casualties. On 26 September, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) launched an offensive in Khartoum and surrounding areas in a bid to besiege areas under RSF control, making significant advances in the ensuing days. In addition, the SAF-aligned Darfur Joint Forces (a coalition of armed movements from Darfur) engaged in fighting with the RSF on several front lines in North and West Darfur states. In the past few weeks, the SAF has reportedly been able to make strategic advances in Sennar and Al Jazira states. Media reports indicate that, on 24 October, the RSF launched a retaliatory attack on villages in East Al Jazira, following the defection to the SAF of Abu Aqla Kikal, a prominent RSF commander. While some sources report that the attack killed about 50 people, others suggest that the death toll could be much higher. (For background and more information, see the brief on Sudan in our October 2024 Monthly Forecast and listen to our 4 September podcast episode.)

Tomorrow, Guterres and several Council members are expected to condemn the ongoing violence across the country and stress the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Guterres is likely to highlight that the conflict has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan and has had destabilising effects on the region. On 18 October, the Secretary-General submitted his report (S/2024/759) pursuant to resolution 2736 of 13 June, which requested him to make recommendations for the protection of civilians (PoC) in Sudan. The report describes an alarming intensification of intercommunal and identity-based violence and highlights a significant increase in human rights violations and abuses in areas under the control of both warring parties. It outlines the widespread damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate attacks carried out by the warring parties in residential neighbourhoods and sites sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects. At tomorrow’s meeting, Guterres and several Council members are likely to emphasise the crucial need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and medical and humanitarian personnel.

Guterres is likely to focus on the recommendations outlined in his report under three broad headings: intensifying diplomacy towards ending the fighting, changing the behaviour of the warring parties, and supporting broader protection measures. The report highlights an urgent need for a renewed diplomatic push, including through the “personal involvement” of some heads of state, to ensure that the warring parties uphold their legal obligations. It calls on the warring parties and relevant stakeholders to pursue scalable, locally negotiated ceasefires and other measures to reduce violence, protect civilians, and prevent the spread of conflict. It strongly recommends that the warring parties establish a robust and transparent compliance mechanism, as a critical step to ensure implementation of the “Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan”, which was signed by both sides in Jeddah on 11 May 2023. The report calls for an immediate cessation of the direct or indirect flow of weapons and ammunitions into Sudan, which continue to fuel the conflict. Highlighting the need to monitor violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, the report underlines the importance of supporting and cooperating with regional and international independent investigation bodies. It further calls on the international community to provide technical and financial support to Sudanese civil society organisations and community-based initiatives.

Amidst mounting protection concerns, several human rights organisations and Sudanese civil society actors have advocated for robust measures, including the deployment of protection forces in Sudan. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, established by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2023, recommended in its 6 September report the deployment of an independent and impartial force with a PoC mandate in Sudan. Some Council members are apparently exploring options for a possible deployment of an African Union (AU)-led mission and how the mission could be supported in the context of resolution 2719 of 21 December 2023 on the financing of AU-led peace support operations (AUPSOs). The Secretary-General’s report acknowledges these calls but notes that “at present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a UN force to protect civilians” in Sudan. However, it expresses the UN Secretariat’s readiness to engage with the Council and relevant stakeholders on “operational modalities”, including localised efforts feasible under the current conditions that can contribute to effectively reducing violence and protecting civilians.

Lamamra is expected to provide an update on the ongoing regional and international initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis, his engagement with key regional and international interlocutors, and his efforts to coordinate different peace initiatives. With the mediation efforts, not having achieved any breakthrough as yet, members might be interested in hearing Lamamra’s assessment of potential next steps, including strategies for enhancing cooperation among stakeholders and addressing the underlying issues hindering the peace process. Tomorrow’s closed consultations may provide a good opportunity for Council members to examine and have a frank discussion about potential measures that could be implemented to support PoC as well as assess existing strategies.

On 3 October, AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) members undertook a field mission to Port Sudan to engage with senior officials from the Sudanese authorities and other key stakeholders. In a communiqué adopted following a 9 October meeting, AUPSC members requested the AU Commission (the organisation’s secretariat) to reopen the AU liaison office in Port Sudan in order to facilitate the AU’s engagement with stakeholders in Sudan at all levels and to provide technical support to Sudan.

Wosornu is likely to highlight the spiralling humanitarian situation in the country, especially food insecurity, and describe efforts by the UN and its partners to deliver aid across Sudan. She and several Council members are likely to reiterate the critical need to ensure full, rapid, and sustained humanitarian access through all modalities and criticise impediments to such access. They may also call on the Sudanese authorities to extend the authorisation for the use of the Adre crossing at the Chad-Sudan border for humanitarian operations, which was initially authorised on 15 August for a three-month period.

In a 25 October joint statement, officials from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF called for intensifying the international response to match the scale of rising needs in Sudan. While expressing appreciation for assurances of cooperation from the Sudanese authorities, they underlined the need to operationalise these commitments. The reality on the ground, they said, “remains fraught with logistical and administrative barriers”, which have hindered the UN’s ability to provide aid and protection to vulnerable communities as well as effectively monitor the delivery of aid. They called for simplifying and expediting approval procedures for aid shipments and personnel, including facilitating cross-line access. The officials also called for re-establishing the UN offices in Zalingei, Central Darfur, and Kadugli, South Kordofan.

Earlier this month, during negotiations on a draft press statement proposed by the UK (the penholder on Sudan), Russia apparently requested the removal of the phrase “administrative or other impediments”, arguing that it suggests that Port Sudan authorities are creating artificial barriers for aid delivery and distribution. Some members, such as France, however, contended that several obstacles remain to the delivery of aid. Continuing disagreements among members led the penholder to withdraw the draft text after four revised drafts. (For background on Council dynamics regarding the issue of humanitarian access, see the brief on Sudan in our October Monthly Forecast and 13 June What’s in Blue story.)

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/10/sudan-briefing-and-consultations-9.php

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Sudan warring parties’ to sit down for talks in Addis, Cairo 10 July 2024. UN warns of further displacement

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Defenceless civilians in Sudan are being left to fend for themselves and starve while Sudan's military junta fights the RSF private army for control of Sudan. If the African Union and IGAD cannot end genocide in Sudan, one of 54 countries on the continent of Africa, they and the ICC should be defunded and sent packing. They are not working.

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Report from The Reporter Ethiopia
By ASHENAFI ENDALE
Dated Saturday, 22 June 2024. Here is a full copy:

Sudan warring parties’ to sit down for talks in Addis Ababa, Cairo in July

UN warns of further displacement without peace efforts

Addis Ababa will play host to an all-inclusive political dialogue centered around war-torn Sudan for five days beginning July 10, 2024, according to an AU statement released on Friday.

The AUC Chairperson, through the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan and in collaboration with IGAD, is working to realize the dialogue in hopes of securing a people-driven solution to the brutal conflict and restoration of constitutional democratic order in Sudan, according to the statement.

It came following a meeting between heads of state and government on the situation in Sudan on Friday.

The communiqué disclosed that another dialogue effort is scheduled to take place in Egypt in early July prior to the talks in Addis Ababa.

“[The AU] expresses appreciation to the efforts undertaken by neighboring countries, in coordination with the AU and IGAD, to facilitate the promotion of peace in Sudan, including the ongoing efforts by the Arab Republic of Egypt to facilitate the dialogue among Sudanese actors, scheduled to be held early July 2024 in Cairo, Egypt, to complement the ongoing efforts to convene the AU/IGAD-led Inclusive Dialogue,” reads the communiqué.

The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) has called for direct negotiations between the warring generals of Sudan in order to secure a ceasefire agreement.

“An acceptable ceasefire can only be reached through direct negotiations between the key actors in the war,” reads an AUPSC statement released on Friday.

It details that the AU chairperson is tasked with setting up a committee led by Ugandan President Kaguta Museveni to facilitate the talks between the heads of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in “the shortest possible time.”

The Council has also called on all external actors to “stop any military and financial support to the belligerents that is further worsening the conflict.”

The statement t says the committee led by Museveni is tasked with liaising with the AU Commission and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) to “identify all external actors supporting the warring factions militarily, financially, and politically, as well as make proposals on how to contain each of them.”

The Council has called for all stakeholders to work in an inclusive, coordinated, and synchronized manner through the existing AU-established coordinating mechanisms for the resolution of the crisis in Sudan.

The statement acknowledges reports of violence in parts of Sudan, including Khartoum, Darfur, Al Gezira, and Kordofan, and warns against the potential dangerous ethnic and communal repercussions of the conflict.

More than 14,000 people are thought to have been killed in Sudan since the brutal civil war broke out last April, with thousands more injured, and more than 10 million people displaced, making it the worst internal displacement crisis in the world, according to the UN.

Earlier this week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned that many more people will flee the war in Sudan for shelter in neighboring countries without concerted peace efforts.

“The level of suffering is truly unconscionable,’’ said UNHCR head Filippo Grandi. “Sudan is the definition of a perfect storm: shocking human rights atrocities, with millions uprooted by this insane war and other wars that came before it. A terrible famine is looming, and severe floods will soon hamper aid deliveries even more. We are losing a generation to this war, yet peace efforts are not working.”

View original: https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/40772/

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Related reports

IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. @DrWorkneh, attended the AU Peace and Security Council Heads of State and Government meeting, chaired by H.E. @KagutaMuseveni, to discuss the situation in #Sudan. The meeting focused on the ongoing conflict and explored ways to enhance coordinated… pic.twitter.com/oHuSjGniO7

— IGAD Secretariat (@IGADsecretariat) June 21, 2024

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Good preview of what today's AU meeting on #Sudan is likely to discuss from @africa_amani https://t.co/ccCbWmgceQ

— Cameron Hudson (@_hudsonc) June 21, 2024

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Sudan Watch - June 11, 2024
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC appeals for information on international crimes in Darfur, Sudan
THE International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Mr Karim Khan KC issued an urgent appeal today (Tuesday, 11 June 2024) in The Hague for information and evidence of atrocities in Darfur, Sudan, saying his ongoing investigation “seems to disclose an organised, systematic and a profound attack on human dignity.” 
https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/icc-chief-prosecutor-karim-khan-kc.html

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Sudan Watch - June 10, 2024

Calls for the international community to act and restart Saudi-US Jeddah process is a total abdication by Africa. AU & IGAD are ignoring starving Sudanese

Photo: The Chairperson of the Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat (Credit AUC)

“Not a shred of indication that the AU is prepared to play a more active role in ending the conflict inside a member state that risks drawing in many more members. Calls for the international community to act and restart of Saudi-US Jeddah process is a total abdication by Africa.”https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/calls-for-international-community-to.html

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COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE 2nd MEETING OF THE IGAD QUARTET GROUP OF COUNTRIES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SUDAN

September 06, 2023 (NAIROBI, Kenya): The Heads of State and Government of the IGAD Quartet Group of Countries met in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya on the margins of the 2023 Africa Climate Summit to take stock of the implementation of the IGAD Roadmap for peace in the Republic of Sudan that was adopted by the 14th Ordinary Assembly of the IGAD Heads of State and Government on the 12th of June 2023 in Djibouti and in follow up to the 1st meeting of the IGAD Quartet group of countries that was held in Addis Abba on the 10th of July 2023.

https://igad.int/communique-of-the-2nd-meeting-of-the-igad-quartet-group-of-countries-for-the-resolution-of-the-situation-in-the-republic-of-sudan/ 

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COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE 1^ST MEETING OF THE IGAD QUARTET GROUP OF COUNTRIES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SUDAN

On Monday, 10^th July 2023, the Heads of State and Government of the IGAD Quartet Group of Countries met in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic of Ethiopia to discuss in depth the implementation of the IGAD Roadmap for peace in the Republic of Sudan.

https://igad.int/communique-of-the-1st-meeting-of-the-igad-quartet-group-of-countries-for-the-resolution-of-the-situation-in-the-republic-of-sudan/

 

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