Security Council delegates urge cooperation with ICC over Darfur, warn of risk to El Obeid

Representatives of Security Council members that are state parties to the Rome Statute delivered a joint statement at a United Nations Security Council meeting, praising the International Criminal Court's deputy prosecutor for the Office of the Prosecutor's 43rd report on Darfur and urging increased cooperation, including arrest warrants and reparations.

The presenters said the deputy prosecutor's recent visit to Chad and meetings with affected Darfuri communities underscored the ongoing priority given to the Darfur situation. "We extend our deepest appreciation to the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Ms. Nasat Khan, and her team for presenting the 43rd report of the Office of the Prosecutor to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Darfur," said Presenter (S1).

The statement highlighted investigative advances during the reporting period, saying interviews of key witnesses had helped link recent crimes in Darfur to high-level perpetrators and confirm identities of victims previously unknown. Presenter (S1) also said the Office of the Prosecutor continued to focus on "extensive allegations of gender-based crimes and crimes against and affecting children in this situation."

The speakers welcomed cooperation with Sudanese authorities in some areas, including support for deployment of prosecutor staff to Port Sudan, but sharply criticized the Rapid Support Forces for failing to respond to cooperation requests. "Despite significant efforts of the Office of the Prosecutor, the Rapid Support Forces has failed to respond to cooperation requests," Presenter (S1) said, calling the failure "of deep concern" and reminding all actors of obligations under resolution 1593.

Chair (S2) said the Office of the Prosecutor and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned a reported imminent offensive against El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, "carries the risk of serious international crimes." The chair urged tangible outcomes, including arrests and execution of warrants, as central to preventing a further cycle of atrocity crimes in other regions of Sudan.

The statement cited the 2003'2004 violence as feeding today's cycle of crimes and pointed to the conviction and sentencing of Ali Mohammed Ali Abt Al Rahman (named in the record) as providing "a measure of justice to victims." Chair (S2) called on states, including Security Council members, to assist with reparations arising from ongoing proceedings initiated pursuant to resolution 1593 of 2005 and to support the Trust Fund for Victims.

The joint statement closed with a reaffirmation of "steadfast and unwavering support for the Court as an independent and impartial judicial institution" and a commitment to defend the principles of the Rome Statute against threats to the court and its partners.

After the statement, a delegate (Questioner, S3) asked what member states were doing to "protect the ICC in light of the escalating" attacks (the record contains an unclear reference), but Chair (S2) repeatedly interjected that the floor would not take a question and said, "We've said what we wanted to say," leaving that specific question unanswered in the transcript.

No formal vote or action was recorded on these remarks during the session; the meeting record shows a joint statement, expressions of concern about prospective operations around El Obeid, and calls for increased cooperation and assistance for reparations.