Sudan: UN Security Council will hold an open briefing followed by closed consultations on Fri 27 June 2025

Report from UN Security Council

What's In Blue 

Dated Thursday, 26 June 2025 - full copy:

Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

Tomorrow morning (27 June), 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”. 

Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee and a civil society representative are expected to brief in the open chamber. 

The chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Joonkook Hwang (the Republic of Korea), is expected to brief the Council on the committee’s work. 

Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra will brief in the closed consultations.

Pobee is likely to provide an overview of the deteriorating security situation in Sudan. 

In June, the conflict witnessed shifting front lines and intensified fighting across several regions. Fierce battles continued in the Kordofan region, as both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sought to consolidate territorial gains, exchanging heavy drone and artillery fire on multiple fronts and inflicting significant harm on civilians.

The situation in El Fasher and other parts of North Darfur state continues to be highly volatile. El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been under siege by the RSF since May 2024. 

In a 20 June statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk noted that, on 15 June, the RSF launched a renewed assault on the city following months of increased fighter mobilisation across Darfur, including the recruitment of children. He added that the operation aimed at capturing El Fasher, which involved a ground offensive, mirrored the RSF’s April attack on the nearby Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, widespread sexual violence, and a humanitarian catastrophe. (For more information, see our 18 May and 12 June What’s in Blue stories.)

Pobee may also address the regional dimensions of Sudan’s conflict. 

On 10 June, the SAF accused forces aligned with General Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), of supporting RSF attacks on its positions along the tri-border area of Egypt, Libya, and Sudan—an allegation that the LNA has denied. 

After the SAF’s withdrawal from the tri-border zone on 11 June, the RSF claimed control over this strategic area, enabling it  to secure a supply line from Libya and advance towards the Nile Valley and Northern State, both of which are considered SAF strongholds. 

The conflict has also spilled into Abyei and South Sudan, escalating local tensions, displacing civilians, and worsening insecurity. 

Meanwhile, media reports indicate that the SAF has relocated warplanes to Eritrea amid increasing RSF drone strikes. (For more information, see our 18 March What’s in Blue story.)

In a 24 June press statement, Council members condemned the 20 June attack by “suspected Sudanese armed elements” on UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) peacekeepers patrolling near the Central African Republic (CAR)-Sudan border. 

The incident resulted in the death of a Zambian peacekeeper. 

In their statement, Council members expressed concern about the impact of the crisis in Sudan, particularly in border areas, including RSF incursions into the CAR’s territory and its coordination with local armed groups.

Tomorrow, the briefers and several Council members are expected to condemn the ongoing violence across Sudan and reiterate their calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 

They may also discuss the destabilising impact of the conflict in Sudan on the region, including the influx of refugees to neighbouring countries.

Speakers are likely to stress the urgent need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, as well as medical and humanitarian personnel, while condemning the deliberate targeting of these individuals and facilities. 

Some members may also highlight broader protection concerns, including widespread conflict-related sexual violence, and emphasise the imperative of ensuring accountability for such acts. 

Some may highlight the 21 June attack on the Al-Mujlad hospital in West Kordofan, which reportedly killed more than 40 people, including six children and five healthcare workers. At the time of writing, it was unclear who was responsible for the attack.

In a separate development, the US has accused the Sudanese government of using chemical weapons in 2024, in violation of the country’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and announced on 22 May the imposition of sanctions on Sudan. The Sudanese government has denied these allegations.

Tomorrow’s meeting is also expected to take stock of recent political developments in Sudan. 

On 19 May, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the SAF’s leader, appointed Kamil Eltayeb Idris as Prime Minister. In a 20 May statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed hope that the appointment would serve as a first step towards inclusive consultations and the formation of a broad-based technocratic government. 

After assuming office, Idris dissolved the existing cabinet and, on 19 June, announced plans to appoint a 22-member non-partisan technocratic government. On 24 June, he named the ministers of defence and interior. 

However, the dissolution of the previous cabinet has sparked divisions among groups allied with the SAF, such as the Justice and Equality Movement, who argue that the move violates the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement, which provided for the allocation of cabinet positions and other political appointments to its signatories under a power-sharing framework.

During the closed consultations, Lamamra is expected to provide an update on ongoing regional and international initiatives to resolve the crisis in Sudan, including his engagement with Sudanese parties, consultations with key regional and international interlocutors, and efforts to coordinate various peace initiatives. 

On 2 June, the Personal Envoy held consultations in Moscow with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, reportedly focusing on the need for coordinated international efforts to secure a ceasefire and advance an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue. He also spoke with Idris on 4 June—their first interaction since the prime minister’s appointment. 

As mediation efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough, Council members may wish to hear Lamamra’s assessment of recent political developments, prospects for de-escalation, and potential next steps, including the status of anticipated technical-level proximity talks. This may include strategies to enhance cooperation among stakeholders—particularly regional and sub-regional organisations—and to address the underlying challenges impeding the peace process. (For more information on recent mediation efforts, see our 18 May What’s in Blue story.)

On 3 June, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos convened a meeting on the conflict in Sudan with the Quad ambassadors to the US (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). 

According to a press release issued after the meeting, Landau acknowledged that the conflict in Sudan poses a threat to shared regional interests and underscored the importance of the Quad working collectively to persuade the warring parties to cease hostilities and pursue a negotiated settlement.

Tomorrow, Lamamra is also expected to brief members on the fourth consultative meeting on enhancing coordination among the various peace initiatives on Sudan, hosted and chaired by the European Union (EU) in Brussels today (26 June). 

Several regional and international interlocutors attended the meeting, including Lamamra, the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the League of Arab States (LAS), as well as representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Mauritania, the UK, the US, and Saudi Arabia.

Sudan’s civilian space remains fragmented, as evidenced by recent exchanges between different coalitions over Lamamra’s mediation efforts. 

Media reports suggest that a group of Sudanese politicians, activists, and diplomats sent a letter to Guterres on 13 June, accusing Lamamra of failing to establish a viable peace process and of aligning closely with the SAF’s narrative, and therefore calling for his replacement. 

By contrast, a different group of Sudanese political and civil society actors has reportedly expressed support for Lamamra and cautioned against efforts to undermine the mediation process.

Tomorrow, some Council members may reiterate their call on member states to refrain from external interference in Sudan, which they believe is exacerbating conflict and instability, and to instead support mediation efforts for a durable peace. They may call for strict compliance with the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime.

The appointment of the Panel of Experts assisting the committee, whose mandate was most recently extended through resolution 2772 of 17 February, remains stalled due to holds placed by some Council members. Some members may call for the urgent resolution of this impasse to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of the sanctions regime.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/06/sudan-briefing-and-consultations-11.php

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Sudanese actor Warrag Omar selling pastries in Addis

HERE is an inspiring story. Even the photo of Sudanese comedian Warrag Omar gives off a warm and friendly vibe. In my experience, this quote from the story can apply to almost everyone, not just the Sudanese: “Of course, if you tell Sudanese that you plan to do something, they will immediately take your idea and implement it. That’s why I didn’t talk to anyone about my pastries project, I didn’t even talk to myself, but just started it.” Read more.

From Radio Dabanga website
Dated 13 February 2024 13:47 ADDIS ABABA

Sudanese actor now selling pastries in Addis Ababa

Sudanese comedian Warrag Omar selling pastries in Addis Ababa, 

February 9 (Photo: Ashraf Abdelaziz / RD)

Sudanese comedian Warrag Omar, who arrived in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa after fleeing his home in Khartoum, refused to sit idle and successfully began selling pastries in the city. His small restaurant has become a meeting place for both Sudanese refugees and Ethiopian artists.

Warrag Omar, famous among the Sudanese for the characters of Wad El Shorba (the soup boy) and Hasan Ta’reefa (Hasan penny) he embodied during his performances in Khartoum, last year fled Burri in north-east Khartoum when “the bullets at the beginning of this absurd war had punctured all the windows of the neighbourhood”.

Via East Nile in Khartoum North, Merowe in Northern State, he “finally reached Addis Ababa,” Omar told Radio Dabanga correspondent Ashraf Abdelaziz in an interview on Friday.

“When the war broke out on April 15, I was in Omdurman and managed to reach my family in Khartoum the same day. As we were living in Burri Imtidad Nasir, we were close to the General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), where the clashes were very severe from the first day. We thought that the matter would calm down after two or three days, but it continued for months. When the situation became really tight, with prolonged lack of water and food, power outages, and most of our money spent, I decided we’d move to the north, to Merowe.”

Customers buying pastries at the Jeddah restaurant in Addis Ababa, where Sudanese comedian Warrag Omar is now selling pastries, February 9 (Photo: Ashraf Abdelaziz / RD)

‘Basta’

Asked about ways of supporting his family in Merowe, he said that “we still did not imagine that the fighting would last much longer. I thought we would spend a week or so. When we discovered that we were facing a fait accompli, that the war would continue for a long time, I thought about ways of livelihood, because we were almost out of money.

“Of course, if you tell Sudanese that you plan to do something, they will immediately take your idea and implement it. That’s why I didn’t talk to anyone about my pastries project, I didn’t even talk to myself, but just started it.”

The actor definitely benefited from the advertisements he posted on his Facebook page about “super comfortable pastries” and “affectionate pastries which take care of your complete well-being”.

The people started coming, he said. “They didn’t come for the sweets, but for the entertainment, pictures, and stories. You know of course, when a famous man arrives at a village and sits with the villagers, they say ‘Let’s go, let’s join”.

Omar did not have any experience in making pastries, called basta in Sudan. “I only knew how to eat basta. I used to buy it from a factory and sell it. Only recently I learned to make basbousa myself.”

The Jeddah restaurant in Addis Ababa, where Sudanese comedy actor Warrag Omar sells his pastries, February 9 (Photo: Ashraf Abdelaziz / RD)

Addis Ababa

The actor began to lose his customers in Merowe when the purchasing power of the people further decreased. “A friend of mine living in Addis advised me to come and continue selling pastries there. I doubted at first, because I know that Ethiopians do not like sweets as much as we do, but thank God I went, posted advertisements, and things went well.

“I started in a small shop with seven chairs. People used to come in large numbers and could not find a place to sit. Later, I moved to the Jeddah Restaurant.”

With his livelihood “kind of secured”, Warrag Omar has set up a charity fund.

“One time at a very cold night, I found a Sudanese man sleeping in the street. It really upset me, and I rented a hotel room for him. From that time, I decided to act on the problems of the Sudanese, and created a fund called Yad be-Yad (hand in hand) in order to solve such simple problems. I really appreciate the help of many young Sudanese concerning this project.”

Meeting place

“Our shop is not only tea and pastries. It has become an extensive meeting place for Sudanese refugees here in the city,” Omar added. “In addition, many Ethiopian artists join us here, especially since the Ethiopian culture is close to ours.”

Before he left Sudan, Omar made awareness-raising sketches on the subject of the war. “I have no connection to any party, I am just someone who loves art, drama, and safety.”

The comedian is now thinking about working together with Ethiopian actors and present sketches or a performance on the necessity of stopping the war in his home country.

“If respected producers are available, we will be able to perform beautiful art. The artist’s mission is to spread peace and love,” he said. “Artists are stronger than politicians, than anything. The artist is the mirror of society, he mirrors the problems of the people, including the politicians themselves.”

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudanese-actor-now-selling-pastries-in-addis-ababa

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Sudan: Qatar Charity provides new food aid to war-affected families in Northern, Kassala, Red Sea states

Article at Gulf Times
Dated Sunday, 07 January 2024; 09:35 PM - here is a copy in full:

Qatar Charity provides new food aid to war-affected families in Sudan

With funding from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Qatar's ambassador to Sudan Mohamed bin Ibrahim al-Sada, Sudan Humanitarian Aid Commission's (HAC) federal commissioner Dr Salah al-Mubarak and officials from the Qatari embassy in Port Sudan, launched new shipments of food aid to the states of Kassala, Northern, and Red Sea.

This is part of a project aimed at providing 50,000 food packages to families affected by the war and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan, a Qatar Charity (QC) statement said Sunday.

Ambassador al-Sada emphasised Qatar's continuation of humanitarian efforts aimed at assisting the Sudanese people affected by the war. He lauded the relief interventions by QFFD and QC since beginning of the conflict and stated that Qatar's support for the people in Sudan will continue in the next phase as it is a core humanitarian duty.

Dr al-Mubarak expressed the Sudanese government's appreciation for the continuous response from Qatar, as well as from the QFFD and QC, to help those affected by the war in various states of Sudan. He stated that their recent intervention by providing 8,000 food packages for the IDPs and affected individuals is of great importance, especially after the displacement due to the recent developments in Wad Madani city and the increasing need for food assistance for the affected families.

The shipments of essential food items, inaugurated in the presence of ambassador al-Sada, were directed to the affected, the IDPs, and the most vulnerable groups in the new states. A total of 4,000 food packages were allocated for the Northern State, and 2,000 each for the Kassala State and the Red Sea State. Each food package contains 40kg of essential food items, sufficient for a family of six for a month.

The total beneficiaries of the food aid shipments for the affected families in Kassala, Northern, and Red Sea states are 48,000, while the overall number of beneficiaries from the 50,000 food package provision project, funded by QFFD and implemented by QC for the benefit of the affected families in Sudan, is 300,000. DOHA

View original: https://www.gulf-times.com/article/675051/qatar/qatar-charity-provides-new-food-aid-to-war-affected-families-in-sudan

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Church leader’s Christmas message “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan” especially refugees & displaced

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples. Read more.

From Radio Dabanga - dabangasudan.org
Dated Tuesday, 26 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Church leader’s Christmas message to Sudan’s Christians

'King David of Makuria', one of the early Christian (circa 13th Century) paintings found in Old Dongola, called Tungul in Old Nubian (Photo PCMA UW) (See below)*

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples.

In his message, Mosad wished “love, peace and abundant mercy” to all, wishing a good year on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. He expressed his hopes that this Christmas will be the last one in which Sudan will witness war and conflict.

“We thank God for every church that celebrated Christmas within Khartoum and across Sudan despite the nation’s pain, as they eased the people and all those who suffer in the country by celebrating them.”

He also thanked every evangelical church and school which opened its doors to the displaced in Sudan, and “shared with them a simple bite and simple joys, shared and endured their pain”. He urged the churches and their members to “continue to do good”.

“To all the displaced, refugees and dispersed: God is with you and will not forget you.” He prayed for God’s “peace, patience, mercy and intervention to stop the fighting and conflicts in our country”.

The priest thanked God for “everyone who did not give in to despair, did not give in to death, did not give in to all frustration, and still clings to the God of hope, and put his hope on a better tomorrow because God exists and has not forgotten him”.

During the reign of Islamic dictator Omar Al Bashir (1989-2019), non-Muslims were regularly oppressed. Christian worshipers were prevented to visit churches on Sundays, and a number of church buildings, many of them belonging to the poor Church of Sudan, were demolished. Since 2017, Christian schools were forced to follow the Muslim week calendar from Sunday to Thursday.

One of the first decisions made by the then Transitional Military Council after the ousting of Al Bashi, concerned the permission to enjoy Sunday as the official weekend recess day for Christian schools throughout Sudan.

* Archaeologists from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW), have made stunning discoveries in Old Dongola (Tungul) in Sudan’s Northern State. Announced in April, the Polish team discovered a complex of rooms made of sun-dried bricks, the interiors of which were covered with murals showing figural scenes of early Christian art.

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/church-leaders-christmas-message-to-sudans-christians

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