S/2021/308 Security Council

I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of the briefing provided by the Permanent Representative of Estonia, Sven Jürgenson, in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, in connection with the videoconference on the item entitled “Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan”, convened on Thursday, 25 March 2021 (see annex I). A statement was also delivered by the representative of the Sudan (see annex II). In accordance with the procedure set out in the letter dated 7 May 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Permanent Representatives of the members of the Security Council (S/2020/372), which was agreed upon in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, this briefing and statement are to be issued as a document of the Council.

In accordance with paragraph 3 (a) (iv) of resolution 1591 (2005), I have the honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, covering the period from 11 December 2020 to 24 March 2021. During this reporting period, the Committee issued its annual report for the year 2020 (S/2020/1209), which is available on the Committee website; it held two informal “informal” consultations in the format of a closed videoconference, and has received and considered the Sudan Panel’s final report (S/2021/40) and the last quarterly update. The Panel of Experts on the Sudan submitted its final report to the Committee in December 2020. Committee members discussed the content and recommendations presented by the Panel of Experts on 11 January 2021, during the virtual informal “informal” consultations. Following these Committee discussions, the Committee considered follow-up action. In this regard, the Committee issued a press release on 25 February, urging the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) signatory movements to stop recruiting fighters, in violation of the JPA, including in internally displaced persons camps (SC/14449). The Committee also urged the major non-signatory Darfurian groups to engage in peace talks with the Government of the Sudan as soon as possible. On behalf of the Committee, I addressed a letter dated 25 February 2021 to the Permanent Representative of the Sudan to the United Nations, reiterating some of the Panel’s recommendations. On 4 March 2021, the Committee received a letter of response from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Sudan. The Panel’s final report was made publicly available on 13 January 2021. On 23 February 2021, the Committee held virtual informal “informal” consultations with the Sudan, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and Uganda. This was the eighth meeting of the Committee held to discuss implementation of the measures with the Sudan and States of the region. The invited States were also encouraged to share their views on the final report of the Panel of Experts on the Sudan. Following a briefing by the Panel of Experts, the Sudan and States of the region expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to share their views on the final report with the Committee and the Panel. The Sudan underlined that the situation in Darfur had considerably improved in comparison to 2005 when the sanctions were imposed. The Sudan expressed its readiness to work with the Committee in order to establish “clear, well-identified and measurable key benchmarks” to review measures on the Government of the Sudan with the ultimate objective of lifting the sanctions regime. All neighbouring States supported the Sudan in its efforts to implement the Juba Peace Agreement and expressed their commitment to the implementation of the sanctions measures. The Sudan and States of the region further noted their willingness to cooperate with the Committee and the Panel of Experts towards furthering peace in the Sudan and the region. With regard to the de-listing request submitted by the Sudan, the Committee removed one individual, Adam Yacub Sharif, from the 1591 Sanctions List and objected to the de-listing of one individual. The Committee continues to consider the de-listing request for the two remaining individuals. On 11 March 2021, the Committee received the Panel’s last quarterly update. The Panel updated us about the implementation of the Peace Agreement, regional dynamics, the status of the armed groups in the region and intercommunal violence. I would like to bring to the attention of the Council the following from the Panel’s reporting. In the first months of 2021, the peace process in Darfur continued and reached a significant new stage. Fighting between the Government of the Sudan forces against rebel factions in Darfur have notably diminished. Nevertheless, clashes between splinter rebel factions continued in parts of Jebel Marra. A number of intercommunal clashes also broke out. The Government of the Sudan took some measures to respond to those clashes. However, more measures to enhance the protection of civilians for communities in Darfur continued to be of paramount importance and need to be expedited. On 11 March 2021, the Secretary-General appointed the Experts to serve on the Panel until 12 March 2022. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that the sanctions regime was established for the sole purpose of helping to bring peace to Darfur. It is not to punish the Sudan, but to support the attainment of sustainable peace. The 1591 Committee reiterates its commitment to working together with the Sudan and all relevant stakeholders to make this a reality.

I would like to thank the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) for his briefing on the quarterly report on the work of the Committee. In recent years, the Sudan has time and again affirmed its consistent position concerning the punitive measures imposed on the country pursuant to Security Council resolution 1591 (2005) and subsequent resolutions, namely, that those sanctions are no longer consistent with the situation on the ground in Darfur, as compared with the time when they were imposed in 2005. The Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) has repeatedly, and encouragingly, stated that the purpose of the sanctions is not to punish the Sudan but to promote peace and stability. In that connection, we would like to note that the transitional Government of the Sudan has been working over the past few months to reach a comprehensive political solution in the Sudan that silences the guns and enables civilians in Darfur to enjoy peace, security and stability. The Juba Peace Agreement was concluded against that backdrop and is now being implemented by the Government and its peace partners. The Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers have been reconfigured to include leaders from the parties to the Juba peace process. The first group of Sudan Liberation Army Forces has arrived in Khartoum and Darfur to implement security arrangements and form the Joint Civilian Protection Force. The National Mechanism for the Protection of Civilians held a meeting last week to discuss the deployment of that force in the Darfur region. After the meeting, the Mechanism announced that 70 per cent of the joint security force had arrived in Darfur. It was decided that the Mechanism would relocate to the states of North Darfur, Central Darfur and South Darfur to assess the situation on the ground. It will later relocate to West Darfur and East Darfur for the same purpose. I take this opportunity to reiterate that the Government is determined to continue to improve the security situation in Darfur by implementing the Juba Peace Agreement, collecting unlicensed weapons, up-holding justice and accountability, implementing the National Plan for Civilian Protection, involving the Abdul Wahid movement in the peace process and adopting measures to prevent intercommunal fighting. The positive developments in Darfur make it incumbent upon the Security Council to end these sanctions. Lifting them will enable the Government to rebuild and strengthen the capacity of security forces and law enforcement agencies to maintain and strengthen peace not only in Darfur, but throughout the region, where organized crime groups sometimes engage in trafficking in people and weapons alongside other transnational criminal activities. In that regard, we thank the Committee for removing Adam Yacub Sharif from the list, and we look forward to the immediate removal of the names of the other two persons from the list, given that, according to the supporting documents we provided in the removal request, there are no grounds for listing those persons. In February, the Security Council adopted resolution 2562 (2021), which renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts for one year. In one of its paragraphs, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit a report, following consultation with a number of stakeholders, including the Government of the Sudan, containing recommendations for clear and well-identified key benchmarks that could serve in guiding the Council to review the sanctions regime. The Sudan is fully prepared to work constructively with the Secretariat and Council members to develop those benchmarks and end the sanctions.