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8283rd Security Council Meeting: Reports of Secretary-General on Sudan and South Sudan
With the security situation in Darfur remaining largely stable, now was the time for the United Nations — in partnership with the African Union — to closely couple the drawdown of its hybrid peacekeeping mission in the Sudanese province with the build-up of a peacebuilding effort that would focus on addressing the root causes of conflict, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Security Council this afternoon.
Briefing the Council on the Special Report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the strategic review of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the situation on the ground in Darfur had changed — and to best serve the Darfuri people, UNAMID must change accordingly.
The 19-page Special Report set out two central concepts that would work hand-in-hand over two years: a peacekeeping concept, focusing on the most precarious areas where protection of civilians, humanitarian support and mediation efforts were still needed, and a transition concept which — in collaboration with the United Nations country team — would aim to bridge the transition from peacekeeping to early recovery and development.
“Now is the time to plan for the future of United Nations and African Union support to Darfur — by closely linking the drawdown in peacekeeping to the build-up in peacebuilding and development,” he said. What was proposed in the Special Report was a way to draw on the capabilities of the United Nations system, in partnership with the African Union, to better tailor the Organization’s work to the reality on the ground.
Recalling that UNAMID was in the final stages of a year-long reconfiguration, he said the Mission would, going forward, focus its peacekeeping work on Jebel Marra, scene of persistent clashes between Government forces and rebel groups. At the same time, UNAMID’s overall force strength would be reduced from 8,735 to 4,050 military personal, and 2,500 to 1,870 police officers.
He cautioned, however, that long-term peace and stability would require longer-term funding arrangements. It was essential to raise voluntary contributions, use funding from the Organization’s assessed budget during the transition period, and work closely with the Peacebuilding Support Office to access funding.
In the ensuing debate, representatives voiced support for the Special Report’s proposals. They underscored a need for parties to the conflict to agree on a permanent cessation of hostilities and to commit to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. They also proposed that the Council give some thought to imposing sanctions on those deemed to blocking the peace process.
Ethiopia’s representative said the situation in Darfur could no longer be characterized as an armed conflict between Government forces and non-State actors, but rather as criminality aggravated by a humanitarian crisis and human rights violations. A paradigm shift was needed, with the international community intensifying its assistance to the Government of Sudan. He added that he saw no reason for the Council not to have a unified position on the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid, whose leader he said had been holding the peace process hostage.
The representative of Kuwait, advocating capacity-building for the rule of law, said the Doha Document was the cornerstone for all discussions with non-signatory parties as well as decisive for UNAMID’s performance. The coming two years of UNAMID’s mandate could be tailored to developments, with a focus on the Doha Document, he said, calling also for support to be given to development programmes that would sustain peace in Sudan.
Sudan’s representative, taking the floor at the end of the meeting, said the question of displaced persons — numbering more than 2 million — was a priority for his Government, which going forward would require substantial human and humanitarian resources as well as international support. “Peace has become a tangible fact seen all over Darfur,” he said, noting that even the pockets controlled by Abdul Wahid were pushing for reconciliation and sustained peace. On sanctions imposed on his country, he said the Council had to choose between removing certain individuals from the sanctions list or adding Abdul Wahid.
Also speaking today were the representatives of Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Bolivia, Peru, and Kazakhstan.
The meeting began at 3:10 p.m. and ended at 4:09 p.m.
