Sudan – Attack on a humanitarian convoy (11 december 2023)

France utterly condemns the attack on an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian convoy in Khartoum on 10 December 2023, which killed two people and injured seven. It extends its condolences to the bereaved and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

France calls on all the parties in Sudan to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law. It regrets that the commitments made by the warring parties in Jeddah concerning the protection of civilians and humanitarian access are not being translated into a significant change in the situation on the ground.

France pays tribute to the role of humanitarian and health workers. It will continue to call for the protection of these workers to be fully respected, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the guarantee of safe, unhindered humanitarian access worldwide.

France will continue to mobilize the international community to implement international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles more effectively and protect humanitarian space. This is what lies behind its steadfast commitment on the issue, particularly in the United Nations framework, and it is why Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, chaired an event at the General Assembly in September this year dedicated to the protection of humanitarian workers, infrastructure and compliance with international humanitarian law. These active efforts are also embodied in the Call for Humanitarian Action launched on 26 September 2019 by France and Germany in the Alliance for Multilateralism framework.