Sudan, Paris Agreement, Ethiopia/Eritrea & other topics - Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Sudan
Paris Agreement
Ethiopia/Eritrea
Secretary-General/Travels
Myanmar
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon/Israel
Security Council
Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa
Central African Republic
Ukraine
DoP20
International Days

SUDAN

The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by reports that at least 30 civilians were killed, with many others injured, in a drone strike on the town of Katila in South Darfur State on 8 December.

The attack reportedly took place roughly 150 kilometres south-west of the state capital, Nyala. It comes as the toll of escalating violence on civilians across the Darfur and Kordofan regions – particularly through increasing drone strikes – continues to grow rapidly. Further civilian casualties were reported in another strike on the town of Kutum, in North Darfur State, on the same day.

The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. He demands that all parties abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, across all areas of active conflict in Sudan.

With the 1,000-day mark of this devastating conflict approaching, the Secretary-General reiterates his call on all States with influence over the parties to take immediate action and use their leverage to compel an immediate halt to the fighting and stop the arms flows that are fueling the conflict. He also calls on the parties to agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities and to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process. The United Nations stands ready to support genuine steps to end the fighting in Sudan and chart a path towards a durable peace.

PARIS AGREEMENT

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris agreement.

In a social media post, the Secretary-General said a decade ago, the world found the courage to adopt the Paris Agreement, a pillar of hope for humanity.

Today, he added, we must find courage once again.

The Secretary-General called for 2026 to kickstart a new decade of implementation.

The climate crisis is one of the defining challenges of our time, he said.

Together, we can - and we must - build a liveable future for all.

ETHIOPIA/ERITREA

And today marks the 25th anniversary of the Algiers Agreement, a landmark peace treaty that formally ended the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia and established a crucial framework for peaceful relations between the two nations.

In a statement we issued this morning, the Secretary-General reiterated the steadfast support of the United Nations for the Algiers Agreement. At a time of renewed tensions, the Secretary-General urges Eritrea and Ethiopia to recommit to the vision of lasting peace and the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity embodied in the Algiers Agreement and strengthen efforts to build good neighbourly relations. He calls upon both countries to continue working with regional and international partners to advance development cooperation for the benefit of all. 

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-12