At a press conference in Addis Ababa, the United Nations secretary-general urged "an immediate cessation of hostilities" in Sudan and called for diplomacy and African‑led action to resolve the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"There is no military solution," the secretary-general said in reference to Sudan, where he reported "horrific new reports of civilian killings, human rights abuses and ethnically motivated violence" and said the economy was in free fall. On the DRC, he warned that "as more cities fall, the risk of a regional war rises" and said the recent joint summit in Tanzania offered a renewed call for an immediate ceasefire.

The secretary-general emphasized that African solutions are central: "This will be solved if there is effective African unity and African diplomacy to solve the problem." He said African leaders had defined a pathway for ceasefire and that neutralizing armed groups and the retreat of Rwandan forces were among agreed measures to lower tensions.

On peace operations, the secretary-general said the Security Council approved a new instrument: African Union peace‑enforcement operations funded at 75% by assessed United Nations contributions. "This is the instrument we believe will be more important for the African Union," he said, and he expressed hope it would be applied fully, including in Somalia.

Journalists pressed about threatening rhetoric and the risk of wider conflict after public comments by regional military leaders. The secretary-general reiterated his call for ceasefire and political, diplomatic engagement to prevent escalation. He said his special envoy on Sudan has been in contact with both parties and urged that the month of Ramadan be used to stop fighting and open space for diplomacy.

The secretary-general did not announce new military deployments or legally binding mandates at the press event; he described the AU–UN funding arrangement and urged implementation through the Security Council and African institutions.