New York, 19 January 2026 (SUNA) – Sudan reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to the principles of justice and accountability—particularly with regard to the gravest crimes that shock the human conscience, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide—in a statement delivered to the United Nations Security Council during discussions of the semi-annual report by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Darfur.Minister Plenipotentiary Ammar Mohamed Mahmoud, addressing the Council, said that the pursuit of justice has long been—and remains—a central objective of the Sudanese government. He noted that this commitment has been repeatedly underscored by the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) and the Prime Minister, reflecting a firm conviction that preventing impunity, ensuring accountability, securing justice for victims, and providing reparations constitute the true foundation for any sustainable peace.The statement affirmed that Sudan’s Hope Government is exerting maximum efforts to advance justice in Darfur, stressing that peace and justice are inseparable and mutually reinforcing paths.It highlighted the brutal and horrific acts committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia against civilians following its entry into El-Fashir, including ethnically motivated killings, widespread and systematic terror campaigns targeting unarmed civilians—among them women, children, and the elderly—as well as attacks on cities and critical infrastructure using drones, with support and encouragement from regional sponsors.The statement asserted that the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia committed a fully constituted crime of genocide by imposing a suffocating siege on El-Fashir and deliberately starving its population for nearly two and a half years, culminating in a massacre that adds to its extensive record of atrocities—from El-Geneina in West Darfur to villages and rural areas in Al-Gezira State, and across Khartoum, Sennar, and Kordofan.It described the war waged by the rebel RSF militia against the Sudanese people as a dangerous precedent in the history of mass atrocities, presenting a stark model of genocide and crimes against humanity, and affirmed that killing, terror, and destruction have followed the militia wherever it has operated.The statement stressed that all these crimes fall squarely within the subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction of the ICC, necessitating the swift filing of charges and issuance of arrest warrants against those responsible—particularly as some perpetrators have appeared publicly documenting their crimes with blatant contempt for justice.It further argued that these atrocities would not have occurred without extensive military, financial, political, logistical, and media support provided by a sponsoring state, calling on the Court to broaden its investigations to include all those proven to have supported or colluded with the militia, including leaders, financiers, regional sponsors, and inciters.Sudan affirmed that the ICC possesses the legal authority to pursue all perpetrators regardless of their positions or countries, and urged that investigations also encompass certain media outlets that played a dangerous role in whitewashing the militia’s crimes and downplaying their severity, pointing specifically to Sky News Arabia.The statement reiterated Sudan’s commitment to continued cooperation with the ICC, underscoring that achieving justice for crimes committed in Darfur remains a top priority for the transitional government.With respect to El-Geneina massacre, the statement observed that, notwithstanding the existence of credible witness testimony and substantial evidentiary material, the International Criminal Court has, to date, not issued arrest warrants against the perpetrators. It cautioned that such procedural delays risk undermining victims’ confidence in international justice mechanisms and may contribute to the continuation of crimes by reinforcing a climate of impunity.It reaffirmed that combating impunity is a cornerstone of peace and stability in Sudan, renewing the government’s commitment to work with the ICC to deliver justice for victims and entrench a just and lasting peace.The statement further noted the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sudan, during which he assessed grave violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces against civilians and engaged with the Sudanese authorities on coordination mechanisms aimed at ensuring accountability. It affirmed that the protection and promotion of human rights constitute a paramount priority of the Hope Government and a central pillar of state policy.BH/BH