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7906th Security Council Meeting: Sudan and South Sudan
Permanent Representative Rejects Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Government Forces, Claims Sanctions Will Fuel Tensions
Expressing its deep alarm at the situation in South Sudan, the Security Council today renewed its condemnation of fighting in that country, stressing that there was no military solution to the conflict.
In a statement read out by its President for March, the Council condemned reported human rights violations and abuses in South Sudan, expressing deep alarm at the reports of gender-based violence and recruitment of child soldiers. Reiterating its call on all parties to immediately adhere to the ceasefire as called for in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict, it condemned any restrictions and attacks on humanitarian personnel and their facilities.
The Council also underscored the pressing need for accountability for any human rights violations, noting that a political solution which included the voices of women was essential. It called on all parties to the conflict to fully cooperate to advance peace.
Expressing concern at the failure of the parties to fully adhere to their commitments to implement the Agreement, the Council called for unconditional support of all efforts by the United Nations, African Union and Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), and the immediate removal of obstacles to United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It expressed its intent to review progress no later than 30 April.
In his briefing, Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Council not to underestimate the dangers of South Sudan’s trajectory and to act with one voice to pull the world’s youngest country “back from the abyss”. All optimism that had accompanied South Sudan’s birth some six years ago had been shattered by internal divisions and irresponsible behaviour by some leaders.
“A country that had seen a brief glimmer of hope for a better future has plunged back into darkness,” he said. “We have to do everything in our power to change this.” Fighting had internally displaced some 1.9 million people, while 1 million were on the verge of famine and at least 7.5 million — the majority of the country — depended on assistance. Despite such suffering, the Government continued to impede aid deliveries.
While welcoming the President’s intention to hold a national dialogue, he said it was not convincing in the context of ongoing hostilities, the absence of consultation with key stakeholders and the systematic curtailment of basic political freedoms. “For every child who dies, for every woman or girl raped with impunity, for every young boy conscripted into fighting and fed only hatred, there is an angry parent, husband or father plunged into sorrow and prone to seek revenge,” he said.
He urged leaders to do more to demonstrate commitment to people’s well-being, calling on the region and the Council to speak with one voice in placing pressure on the Government. He also supported a focus on an immediate ceasefire, restoring the peace process and ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access.
Festus Mogae, Chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission for South Sudan, said that, whether by design or default, a war was being waged around the country. “This insecurity and armed violence is a direct result of the perception and reality of political exclusion from the peace process,” he stressed. Only when all South Sudanese acknowledged that their interests were addressed could peace return.
Betty Sunday, Coordinator for the Women’s Forum on Peace and Political Processes in South Sudan, said the security threats for South Sudanese women were extreme, citing incidents of rape and other forms of violence. The peace agreement could not be allowed to die, as it contained provisions for women to take up their role in determining a peaceful future.
In the ensuing discussion, South Sudan’s representative stressed that his Government had taken practical steps to reach a lasting peace by including stakeholders in the political process. Having cooperated with the United Nations, the region and wider international community, the Government had expected its effort to be acknowledged “rather than the negative reporting”.
He rejected claims of genocide as baseless, adding that South Sudan was a diverse nation with many different people living in peace. The conflict was political and had no ethnic dimension. He rebuked the notion that Government forces had targeted civilians or used sexual violence as a war tactic, stressing that the Government was protecting itself as all nations did. Armed groups, formed with the sole purpose of undermining the Government, were opportunistic and criminal. He rejected claims that the Government was responsible for the famine, emphasizing that sanctions and an arms embargo would only exacerbate tensions.
Council members expressed concern over the widening famine, condemned the fighting and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Several expressed support for the President’s national dialogue and the establishment of a hybrid court to hold accountable those who had committed or ordered atrocity crimes. Senegal’s delegate urged South Sudan to support efforts to establish the court, while the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia pressed the Government to conduct the national dialogue in an all-inclusive manner.
Some speakers expressed concern that the international community had done too little to support the world’s youngest country, with Egypt’s Foreign Minister stressing that international responsibility did not end with the declaration of South Sudan’s independence. Support was sometimes more important during a nation’s transition, he said, cautioning that sanctions-based approaches could lead to a power vacuum.
Others speakers expressed support for an arms embargo, including France’s delegate, who said such a measure would foster an environment conducive to peace. The representative of the United States echoed that sentiment, stressing that the famine had not resulted from drought, but rather, from leaders more interested in political power and stopping aid. Such actions might amount to deliberate starvation tactics.
Also speaking today were the representatives of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Japan, Uruguay and China.
The meeting began at 3:10 p.m. and ended at 5:30 p.m.
