Madam President. 

First of all, I would like to thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his remarks at the beginning of this meeting. I also wish to thank Ambassador Mohammad, who spoke on behalf of the AU Chairperson Moussa Faki, as well as the UN Special Representative Volker Perthes and Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for their briefings. 

The recent eruption of armed conflict in Sudan has led to massive civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction. China is a good friend and partner of Sudan, and it pains us to see the country’s relapse into turmoil. China calls on both parties to the conflict to prioritize the interests of the country and its people, and end hostilities swiftly to avoid further escalation of the situation. 

We have noted that both parties to the conflict have committed to a further 72-hour ceasefire starting on April 25. We hope that humanitarian ceasefire is fully implemented, civilians effectively protected, the safety of foreign institutions, personnel, and diplomatic missions in the country ensured, and security and logistics support provided for humanitarian aid and personnel evacuation and relocation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all relevant parties for their assistance and facilitation in the evacuation and relocation of Chinese personnel. 

China commends the AU, IGAD, the League of Arab States, and other regional organizations and relevant regional countries for their critical role in responding to the situation in Sudan. We welcome the AU emergency special meeting on April 20 and its communique. IGAD has asked the leaders of South Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti to conduct mediation. We hope that they can visit Sudan as soon as the security conditions allow. We also recognize the efforts of Secretary-General Guterres and the UN team, and support the UN in continuing to coordinate with the AU, IGAD, LAS, and other regional organizations to form synergy. The Security Council issued on April 15 a press statement on the situation in Sudan, which sends out a clear message calling for a ceasefire and promoting peace talks. The Council, when considering its next step on the issue of Sudan, should fully listen to and respect the opinions of its African members and regional organizations such as the AU and IGAD. 

Madam President, 

Sudan is an important country in the Horn of Africa. If the current conflict drags on and escalates, there will undoubtedly be a higher spillover risk. This is not in the interests of Sudan and will harm regional peace and security. At present, the priority is to facilitate the immediate cessation of hostilities, urge both parties to the conflict to solve differences and divergences through dialogue, and bring the political process and social economic development as well as social order back to the right track. The cause of the current turmoil in Sudan deserves serious reflection. The international community should respect Sudan’s sovereignty and ownership, and support Sudan in exploring institutional arrangements in line with its national conditions. Imposing a solution from the outside or arbitrarily setting up a timetable are likely to be counterproductive. The April 20 communique issued at the AU emergency meeting reiterates its rejection of any form of external interference with Sudan’s affairs, which is very important. The international community should heed carefully the concerns of Sudan and regional countries. 

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that China firmly supports Sudan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and hopes that Sudan sees the end of the conflict at an early date and return to the right track of peace, stability, and national development. 

Thank you, Madam President.