Madam President,

I thank the Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Deputy Executive Director Suleiman for their briefings, and welcome the representatives of Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to today's meeting.

The conflict in Sudan has entered its fourth year. With hostilities raging in multiple parts of the country, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, mediation efforts remain stalled, and the peace long sought by the Sudanese people appears ever more elusive. China believes that the international community should intensify its efforts in the following four areas.

First, promote an immediate ceasefire and end violence to prevent further deterioration of the situation. Recently, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deployed substantial reinforcements to El-Obeid in North Kordofan State and intensified drone attacks, leading to a sudden escalation of tensions. The Security Council has issued a Press Statement demanding that the RSF immediately halt assault on El-Obeid. China has repeatedly stressed that the large-scale atrocities witnessed in El-Fasher must never be repeated. We urge the RSF to exercise restraint, de-escalate the situation, fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law and refrain from harming civilians or damaging civilian infrastructure. We call on all parties to the conflict to act in the overall national interest, agree to an early ceasefire, and return to the track of political negotiations without delay. Military means offer no way out, and external interference will only aggravate conflict and contradiction. All parties should do more to promote peace and stability.

Second, address the humanitarian crisis to alleviate the acute hardship facing the people. With the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict unresolved and a new outbreak of Ebola in Africa, Sudan's humanitarian situation is suffering a double blow. China supports the Sudanese Government in its efforts to resettle returnees and accelerate reconstruction and recovery. We also support humanitarian agencies in strengthening coordination and communication with the Sudanese Government to ensure the safe and timely delivery of relief supplies to people in need. We call on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and to facilitate humanitarian access to the greatest extent possible. The Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan remains severely underfunded. The international community should step up contributions and honor pledge commitments rather than using humanitarian issues as a tool for political pressure.

Third, strengthen good offices and mediation efforts to advance the political settlement process. China welcomes the Sudanese Government's commitment to advancing the implementation of the peace initiative and preparing to launch an inclusive national dialogue. We also note the recent consultations convened by the Quintet in Addis Ababa. We support the United Nations in playing a central role and stepping up coordination with regional mediators, including the African Union, IGAD, and the League of Arab States, so as to forge synergy. International mediation should fully respect Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, uphold the leading role of the Sudanese people, and complement and reinforce Sudan's own efforts. All parties should fully draw lessons from past experience and oppose actions that could lead to national division, such as the establishment of parallel governing bodies.

Fourth, prevent conflict spillovers to safeguard regional peace and stability. The situation in Sudan is a source of concern for neighboring states with implications for peace and stability across the Horn of Africa and Sahel. If not handled properly, it could easily trigger a wider conflict, which must be taken seriously by the international community. On the one hand, we must focus on the immediate situation, actively support countries in the region in maintaining stability, and jointly guard against threats such as the cross-border movement of armed elements, the illicit proliferation of weapons, and the infiltration of extremist forces. On the other hand, we must take a long-term perspective and encourage countries in the region to achieve sustainable development by improving people's livelihoods and strengthening governance to eliminate the root causes of conflict, and to reject zero-sum thinking, enhance mutual trust and cooperation, and foster good neighborly relations.

Madam President,

The conflict in Sudan must not be overlooked, nor should the Sudanese people be forgotten. Let us act with a sense of urgency, a commitment to peace, and a spirit of solidarity to mobilize greater resources and efforts to help Sudan achieve an early cessation of hostilities and ceasefire, ease the humanitarian situation, advance a political solution so that the Sudanese people may soon enjoy lasting peace, development, and prosperity.

Thank you, Madam President.