Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / DARFUR
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / DARFUR
TRT: 02:53
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 6 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations headquarters
6 APRIL 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council chamber
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Herve Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“The humanitarian organizations estimate that as of the 31st of March, at least 138,000 people from Jebel Marra have been newly displaced in North, Central and South Darfur. Due to access restrictions posed by the government, the exact number of civilian casualties from the recent wave of belligerence; that we cannot ascertain. And these restrictions, particularly in Central Darfur, have prevented further UNAMID and humanitarian actors from responding to the needs of the displaced for protection and humanitarian support.”
4. Med shot, representatives of New Zealand and Russia
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Herve Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“The pursuit of political objectives through military means over the past decade has only contributed to the prolonged suffering of the civilian population. So, I really feel I have to reiterate the call of the Secretary-General upon the Government of Sudan and the SLA (Sudan Liberation Army)/Abdul Wahid to cease hostilities immediately in Jebel Marra, and commit to peaceful negotiations, without preconditions.”
6. Med shot, Representatives of Egypt and France at the meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Herve Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“I can only express my concern with the continuing narrative by the Government to the effect that displaced persons would need to leave their camps. This is not possible without durable solutions based on security and on the necessary social-economic prerequisites for the internally displaced persons and returning refugees to begin a new life in their areas of origin or whatever location they choose to settle in.”
8. Med shot, representatives of Venezuela and Angola
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Omer Dahab Fadl, Permanent Representative, Sudan:
“Unfortunately, as usual, the report which is pointing to the humanitarian situation in an area the size of the Republic of France, Darfur, completely withheld mentioning the case of returnees, which we have mentioned now.”
10. Med shot, representatives of Ukraine and the United Kingdom
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Omer Dahab Fadl, Permanent Representative, Sudan:
“Explain to me how this contradicts the United Nation’s objectives; and how this contradicts international law and it’s binding articles; and how this contradicts the Doha agreement for peace in Darfur, for such a report to be presented and put the government of Sudan, through which it’s citizens practice their sovereignty, on equal footing with an armed group that uses terrorism and violence as a means to achieve its political goals, and calls on and urges them both to find a peaceful solution.”
12. Zoom out, president of the Council adjourning the meeting
The United Nations (UN) peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous called on the Security Council this morning to “impress on all parties to the conflict in Darfur that a political solution remains the only viable option.”
Briefing the Council, Ladsous said the security situation in the region remained fragile. He said the escalation of violence in the Jebel Marra area has led to the displacement of at least 138 thousand people, and government restrictions have prevented the joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from verifying the exact number of casualties in the area as a result of the fighting. Those same access restrictions also prevented UNAMID and other humanitarian actors from “responding to the needs of the displaced for protection and humanitarian support.”
Fighting in the Jebel Marra area intensified mid-January after the launch of a large military operation by government forces in response to an ambush carried out by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) – Abdel Wahid rebel group on a military convoy.
The UN peacekeeping chief said “the pursuit of political objectives through military means over the past decade has only contributed to the prolonged suffering of the civilian population. So, I really feel I have to reiterate the call of the Secretary-General upon the Government of Sudan and the SLA/Abdul Wahid to cease hostilities immediately in Jebel Marra, and commit to peaceful negotiations, without preconditions.”
Contradicting the report, Sudan’s ambassador Omer Dahab Fadl said Darfur has recently witness a large-scale return of displaced persons to their villages. He said 300 thousand displaced persons have already been repatriated and preparations are being made for the return of 100 thousand more.
Fadl said “unfortunately, as usual, the report which is pointing to the humanitarian situation in an area the size of the Republic of France, Darfur, completely withheld mentioning the case of returnees.”
The Sudanese ambassador said government forces have been able to end the “Abdel Wahid gangs’ control on the lives of Sudanese citizens” in the Jebel Marra area. He said primary school students in Darfur were able to take general exams for the first time in 13 years and the “extortion payments for gang members” has stopped. Fadl asked “explain to me how this contradicts the United Nation’s objectives; and how this contradicts international law and it’s binding articles; and how this contradicts the Doha agreement for peace in Darfur, for such a report to be presented and put the government of Sudan, through which it’s citizens practice their sovereignty, on equal footing with an armed group that uses terrorism and violence as a means to achieve its political goals, and calls on and urges them both to find a peaceful solution.”
The Sudanese ambassador said many portions of the report presented are contradictory and called for an “investigation” into its inconsistencies. He said “given the anecdotal evidence” in the report, members of the Council must excuse Sudan to believe that there is a “hidden agenda behind the persistence on the presence of UNAMID in Darfur, which is contradictory to the Security Council resolution that created it.”
