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7950th Security Council Meeting: SG Reports on Sudan and South Sudan
The national dialogue just launched in South Sudan by President Salva Kiir would only be credible if opposition groups genuinely participated, the senior United Nations official in that country said today, as he briefed the Security Council on the significant military, humanitarian and political challenges facing that nation.
Speaking via video link, David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), stressed that “unity of purpose will send the best signal to South Sudan’s political leaders to focus first and foremost on the plight of their citizens”.
Noting that President Kiir launched the national dialogue in Juba in the presence of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, Mr. Shearer underscored not only the significant influence States in the region had on the matter, but the critical need for a coherent and unified regional position. At the same time, it was imperative for the Council to unite on a common strategy in order to move the political process forward.
Recapping the military situation, he said that, with the arrival of seasonal rains, forces were making their last push before roads became impassable for the next four months. Intercommunal conflicts persisted nationwide, while clashes between the Government’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) had seen 22,000 people arrive in Wau from surrounding areas, seeking refuge at United Nations premises and in churches.
The onset of seasonal rains would greatly complicate the humanitarian response and heighten the danger of cholera, of which 7,700 cases had been reported to date, he said, adding that violence directed at aid workers — including detention, threats, arrests, assaults and killings — remained at unacceptable high levels.
The deployment of a 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force in Juba — approved by the Council through its resolution 2304 (2016) with a mandate to reinforce security in the capital — was also under way, he said. In the coming months, advance units from Bangladesh and Nepal would be joined by troops from Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Following the briefing, Council members echoed the Special Representative’s emphasis on an inclusive national dialogue, as well as the critical importance of a well-coordinated regional approach. They also expressed their ongoing deep concern with the humanitarian situation and the dangers and impediments faced by aid workers.
Ethiopia’s representative said the Council should acknowledge President Kiir’s announcement of a national dialogue and unilateral ceasefire. He added that, in light of President Museveni’s efforts and a supporting initiative from Kenya, prospects for advancing peace were better now than a few months ago.
The representative of China, also highlighting recent positive progress, spotlighted the critical role of regional and subregional organizations, including the mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the African Union. It was crucial that the international community support such efforts.
Ukraine’s delegate, voicing concern about humanitarian aid being hindered from reaching those in need, emphasized that freedom of movement for UNMISS and humanitarian organizations was a right, not a privilege to be granted or taken away on a whim. Such respect defined the Mission’s very ability to carry out its mandated tasks.
The representative of the United States, noting her country’s call last month for further sanctions and an arms embargo, said words needed to be backed up by concrete action. Council members must use the tools at their disposal as soon as possible to stop the suffering of the South Sudanese people.
However, South Sudan’s representative reiterated his stance that sanctions were not the best way to address the conflict. Welcoming the arrival of the Regional Protection Force, he also emphasized that the Government was not hindering its deployment. More so, while President Kiir had been persistent in his quest for a lasting peace, the other side had chosen “stoke the bonfire of the conflict”.
Elaborating on the national dialogue, he said it was not meant to replace the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan, but rather an opportunity to accommodate views and address issued that had not been tackled in that accord. However, to achieve a permanent peace, the rebel movements now needed to meet the Transitional Government of National Unity halfway if they were serious about finding a durable solution to the conflict.
Also speaking today were representatives of the United Kingdom, Egypt, Japan, Italy, Bolivia, France, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sweden and Uruguay.
The meeting began at 10:47 a.m. and ended at 12:28 p.m.
