Sudan Calls at Costa Rica Conference for Decisive International Action to Protect Civilians and Exposes External Aggression Against the Country
San José, Costa Rica | 19–20 November 2025
Sudan participated in the Second International Conference on the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA), hosted by the Republic of Costa Rica in San José, with the participation of more than fifty countries and prominent international organizations.
The conference witnessed high-level representation from the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in addition to statements delivered by ministers and senior international officials, as well as powerful testimonies from survivors highlighting the immense human suffering caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
During the plenary session, Sudan’s representative, Mr. Mustafa AbuAli, delivered a statement detailing the catastrophic humanitarian situation resulting from the war waged by the terrorist Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia since April 2023. He noted that the militia has deployed drones and carried out indiscriminate shelling of towns and villages, perpetrated grave violations including attacks on hospitals, airports, and critical civilian infrastructure, and committed acts of genocide in West Darfur, in addition to imposing a siege on the city of El Fasher for more than five hundred days.
The Sudanese representative emphasized that the situation in Sudan cannot be reduced to an internal conflict, as some circles attempt to portray it, but rather constitutes an orchestrated external aggression and transnational terrorism involving foreign mercenaries and marked by systematic violations of international resolutions prohibiting the arming of non-state actors. He stressed that this aggression has received military, financial, and logistical support from known external parties—referring to Sudan’s formal complaint submitted to the UN Security Council in March 2024 against the United Arab Emirates for its support to the rebel militia.
Representative of Sudan presented figures reflecting the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe; more than 12 million internally displaced people, 5 million refugees who fled to neighboring countries, and 25 million people in urgent need of assistance. He noted that the UN humanitarian response has met only 23% of actual needs, while local community solidarity has played a critical role in alleviating the crisis through grassroots initiatives such as communal kitchens (Takayas) and community support centers. He affirmed that Sudan—its people and its armed forces—possesses the will and determination to defend its homeland, preserve its sovereignty, and uphold its national unity, stressing that Sudan is not a transient player on the regional or international stage, but a nation deeply rooted in history that will not break under pressure and will emerge from this ordeal stronger and more resilient.
Sudan called on the international community to take decisive measures to halt support for the terrorist militia, ensure accountability, end impunity, and protect the millions of civilians facing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Many countries and international organizations expressed profound concern over the humanitarian situation in Sudan and underscored that the protection and dignity of civilians must remain central to any international effort.
The conference concludes today, 20 November, with the adoption of the international political declaration on enhancing the protection of civilians from the risks posed by explosive weapons, along with outcome documents summarizing the deliberations.
