EU Heads of Mission conclude their visit to Khartoum and Port Sudan

The Heads of Mission of the European Union (EU) concluded their first joint mission to Sudan since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.  The delegation was led by H.E. Wolfram Vetter, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sudan, provisionally based in Cairo. The EU mission was composed of 7 Ambassadors and 6 deputy Heads of Mission from 10 different European Member States (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and EU).

The visit is a sign of the deepest sympathy for all Sudanese people in light of the immense suffering they have endured over four years of war. Heads of Mission come to listen and to get a deeper understanding of the situation in Sudan to which we are bound by a longstanding relationship and by shared interests in many areas.

The Heads of Mission met with Ambassador Mohyeldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Kamil Idris, Prime Minister of Sudan, Lieutenant General Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, Director General of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) of Sudan and Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, and with other government and UN officials and foreign diplomats. 

They called on all parties to the conflict in Sudan to de-escalate as essential step toward a comprehensive ceasefire. The visit emphasized the need to establish safe havens and humanitarian corridors to efficiently provide aid, security and protection for civilians. The horrific massacres and flagrant violations of the most basic human rights committed against civilians, particularly in El Fasher, and Al-Gazeera State must not be repeated. Humanitarian siege on civilians and towns must end immediately.

The Heads of Mission stressed the importance of preserving Sudan's unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty and condemned efforts to establish parallel governing structures in the country. The Heads of Mission rejected external support that fuels the conflict and criticized the illegal influx of weapons into Sudan, of mercenaries, and foreign fighters, warning that external support is prolonging the war and deepening humanitarian suffering. 

The Heads of Mission underlined that the EU supports the international peace efforts of the Quad as well as the efforts of the Quintet (AU, UN, IGAD, LAS, EU) to facilitate a civilian process leading to a democratic and inclusive governance. The EU visit encouraged the authorities to constructively engage with the Quad and the Quintet, which they see as potentially complementary to the related authorities’ own efforts.

Considering the grave human rights violations, the Heads of Mission stressed the importance of fighting impunity and to ensure accountability of the perpetrators of these crimes.

The Heads of Mission also exchanged on security in the region and expressed their great concern about the risk of a spillover of the conflict in Sudan to its neighbors, leading to more instability, displacements, terrorism, human and drugs trafficking, rise of paramilitary groups.

The participants expressed their gratitude to the Sudanese authorities for the support to the visit and to the welcome extended to the EU Heads of Mission. They are also grateful to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Ms Denise Brown, and her team and all the Representatives of the UN agencies that facilitated enormously the visit. The Heads of Mission will remain engaged with the Sudanese authorities in the coming period. They will continue to visit Sudan, to exchange on issues of mutual interest with a view to strengthen the relations between Sudan and the European Union.