8202nd Security Council Meeting: Situation in Sudan and South Sudan

Achieving durable peace in Darfur hinges on hold-out armed groups signing Doha Accord, Joint Special Representative tells Security Council at 8202nd meeting.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:56:37
• Production Date: 14 March 2018
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: AFRICAN UNION-UNITED NATIONS HYBRID OPERATION IN DARFUR - UNAMID
• Subject Topical: ARMED GROUPS; CONFLICT SITUATION; DEMILITARISATION; DISPLACED PERSONS; PEACE AGREEMENTS; PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS; SANCTIONS; SECURITY SITUATIONS
• Geographic Subject: DARFUR; SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 2109956
• Parent Id: 2109485

Description

While the security situation in Sudan’s Darfur region remained stable, the causes of the conflict — and their related consequences — were largely unaddressed, the Joint Special Representative told the Security Council today, calling on armed groups that had not signed the foundational 2011 peace agreement to do so without delay.

Jeremiah Mamabolo, who is also Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), urged the Council to prevail upon Abdul Wahid al Nur, who leads a faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army, to join the peace process. “That would be the only way the people of Darfur, and indeed the international community, could have any realistic hope for the achievement of durable peace in Darfur,” he said.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s report via video-conference from El Fasher, he said conditions in Darfur were not the same as in 2003, when the conflict began. Aside from sporadic fighting in Jebel Marra, there was a general absence of war, a reality reflected in UNAMID’s adjusted mandate and posture, now in its second phase of reconfiguration.

Moreover, he said internally displaced persons had described the benefits of the Government’s civilian weapons collection exercise and did not want to return to their places of origin. Significant resources were needed for reconstruction, and he urged the Council to ensure they were mobilized apace with the mission’s drawdown.

Joanna Wronecka (Poland), speaking in her capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, added that a 22 February letter from the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs had proposed five people to serve on the newly extended Panel of Experts monitoring the country’s sanctions regime.

On that point, Sudan’s delegate suggested the number of Panel members be reduced and the body disbanded. “Nothing remains of the conflict except the consequences of displaced persons and development,” he said, pressing the Secretariat to align its approach with that of the Council.

He said Sudan had spared no effort to enforce the weapons collection programme and looked forward to the closing of sites during UNAMID’s second reconfiguration phase. The Government would continue to “partner with everyone” until the last component left Sudan, especially in unloading containers, issuing visas and responding to Mission requests for a temporary operations base in Golo.

With those efforts, said Côte d’Ivoire’s delegate, Sudan had shown its willingness to assist UNAMID. He urged authorities to now ensure respect for the status of forces agreement, enabling the mission to carry out its mandate. More broadly, Equatorial Guinea’s delegate advocated greater support for the peace process facilitated by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel and efforts to bring parties to the negotiation table.

Also speaking today were representatives of Peru, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.

The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 11:02 a.m.