We encourage the holding of the remaining workshop on security sector reform as soon as possible. President, in closing, the United Kingdom remains committed to the realisation of the Sudanese people’s calls for freedom, peace and justice. Thank you. We call on the Sudanese authorities to accelerate implementation of both the Juba Peace Agreement and the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians, and to deploy the Joint Security Keeping Force to Darfur. As we approach Ramadan, it is essential to consolidate the progress made so far. The time is now for all parties to seize momentum, accelerate their engagement and reach a final agreement within the coming weeks. President, I will make four broad points. Second, we echo the Secretary-General’s call for the Sudanese authorities to create conducive conditions to help negotiations succeed. In this light, we welcome the release of hundreds of Darfuri civilians from arbitrary detention, but condemn the excessive use of force against protestors, which resulted in the death of 125 protestors since the start of the coup. Thank you President. Thank you also to SRSG Perthes for his briefing and for the continued efforts of UNITAMS. I also welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Sudan in our meeting today. We support the role of UNITAMS, the AU, and IGAD in facilitating the political process, and encourage the non-signatories of the Framework Agreement to join these discussions and contribute to a final agreement. Lastly, the worsening humanitarian situation continues to have a devastating effect on ordinary Sudanese citizens. The United Kingdom welcomes the wide and diverse range of participants involved in the completed workshops. We urge the Sudanese authorities to remove all bureaucratic impediments which are hindering the ability of humanitarians to address the record levels of need. This includes urgently processing visas and lifting movement restrictions for UN personnel. First, I would like to commend the progress made since the announcement of the Framework Agreement on 5 December. Third, the UK remains deeply concerned by ongoing intercommunal conflict across Sudan. The United Kingdom is working with partners to ensure an early and coordinated offer of support to a civilian-led transitional government.
