On 10 November 2025, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published a joint ministerial statement expressing deep alarm at reports of systematic violence against civilians in Sudan following the reported fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces and an escalation across North Darfur and Kordofan. The statement calls for an immediate end to attacks and strict compliance with international humanitarian law.
The text sets out alleged conduct including deliberate targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated mass killings, conflict‑related sexual violence, starvation as a method of warfare, and obstruction of aid. It stresses that, if substantiated, such acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law. ICRC guidance notes that starving civilians as a method of warfare is absolutely prohibited.
Signatories press all parties to guarantee rapid, safe and unimpeded passage of food, medicine and essential supplies and to allow civilians safe passage, explicitly referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2736 (13 June 2024). That resolution demands the Rapid Support Forces lift the siege of El Fasher, requires the protection of civilians, and calls for sustained humanitarian relief.
The joint statement highlights the need to remove access barriers so agencies can operate. In practice, this means immediate movement clearances for WFP, UNICEF and partners, lifting bureaucratic impediments, and securing routes. UN briefings tied to Resolution 2736 have repeatedly urged reopening the Adré border crossing and enabling a major scale‑up of assistance.
Beyond access, the statement urges a ceasefire and a three‑month humanitarian truce. This aligns with the ‘Quad’ proposal from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to pause hostilities for 90 days and launch a nine‑month political track; UN officials welcomed progress in September, and the RSF indicated agreement last week while the army sought conditions for participation.
The ministers warn against attempts to partition Sudan and reaffirm support for the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and for the right of Sudanese people to live in peace, dignity and justice without external interference.
They also urge the parties to come to the negotiating table, stating that only a broad, inclusive, Sudanese‑owned political process can resolve the crisis. Security Council members have separately called on all actors to fulfil Resolution 2736 and to abide by commitments under the Jeddah Declaration on protecting civilians.
According to the UK Government, the statement is endorsed by ministers and senior officials from Norway, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, alongside the United Kingdom, with Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Switzerland also joining.
For humanitarian operations, delivery on these commitments would involve predictable access windows, formal deconfliction channels, written command orders that prohibit obstruction and attacks on medical and aid facilities, and permission to move cash, fuel and telecommunications equipment. Under IHL, sieges must allow civilian evacuation and parties must facilitate humanitarian relief to civilians in need.
Accountability runs through the statement, which acknowledges efforts to document violations and insists impunity must end. UN officials last week flagged atrocity‑crime risk indicators following the RSF’s capture of El Fasher and noted the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes since April 2023.