The UK welcomes the Office of the Prosecutor’s continued focus on Darfur: UK Statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Legal Adviser Colin McIntyre at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.
Let me begin by stressing the United Kingdom’s condemnation of the recent cyberattack against the ICC.
The UK has committed funds to strengthen the Court’s cybersecurity framework and we are pleased that this incident was swiftly contained.
Mr President, I will make three points today.
First, we welcome the Office of the Prosecutor’s continued focus on Darfur.
In this regard, we are gravely concerned by the findings of the Office of the Prosecutor that there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed, and indeed are continuing to be committed, in Darfur.
We also echo the report’s concerns about the situation in El Fasher. Large-scale attacks carried out on Zamzam IDP camp in April 2025 reportedly displaced over 400,000 people and continue to affect the population.
It is appalling that their suffering is compounded by denials of aid.
We call on the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Second, we note the continued cooperation of the Sudanese authorities, including the facilitation of the recent visit to Port Sudan.
Given the significant challenges faced by the Office in implementing its mandate, we encourage the Sudanese authorities to redouble their efforts to cooperate with the Office, particularly in relation to the arrest and transfer of individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants, including Mr Ahmad Harun.
Third, we welcome the enhanced cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office and other actors, including civil society organisations and the UN Fact Finding Mission for Sudan.
We commend the Office of the Prosecutor and the Fact Finding Mission’s ongoing documentation efforts and their commitment to delivering concrete progress.
Mr President, the Sudanese people deserve justice.
We therefore call for the SAF and the RSF to immediately cease hostilities and prioritise the protection of civilians in line with resolution 2736.
Accountability must go hand in hand with finding a political solution to this horrific war and ending the cycle of impunity that has scarred Sudan for decades.
Mr President, let me conclude by reiterating that the UK supports the independence of the International Criminal Court and does not support the sanctioning of individual court officials.