S/PV.6112 Security Council

I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council at this critical moment in Darfur’s history. In this briefing, I will provide the Council with an overview of the state of affairs in Darfur. As Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), I will provide an accurate picture of the progress we are making and of the obstacles we are encountering. In terms of the political situation, the conflict in Darfur today is a conflict of everybody against everybody: Government forces against the armed movements, the armed movements among one another, Government forces against the militias and tribal groups against one another. There is also endemic banditry due to a breakdown in law and order. The UNAMID civilian protection strategy seeks to address every factor that poses a threat to innocent civilians. Two risk factors stand out. The first is the risk posed by military operations, in particular those between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Government of the Sudan. It is of vital importance that the Security Council send a clear signal to all parties that aggressive military action is unacceptable. The second risk factor is the worrisome state of relations between Chad and the Sudan. Indeed, the danger of a serious deterioration of the situation in Darfur cannot be ruled out. Having said all that, the situation has changed from the intense period in 2003 and 2004, when tens of thousands of people were killed. Today, in purely numerical terms, the Darfur conflict can be considered a low-intensity conflict. During the period from the first day of UNAMID operations on 1 January 2008 until 31 March 2009, our incident database contains reports of just under 2,000 fatalities from violence, with a monthly average of about 130 to 150 deaths. Approximately one third of the victims were civilians. Over the same period, 620 civilians lost their lives, either in deliberate attacks, in crossfire or in criminal attacks. Of those 620, 68 were internally displaced persons. According to our reports, 573 combatants died and 669 people died in tribal fighting. Last but not least, we regret to inform the Council of the loss of 14 of our own. There is no military solution to the conflict in Darfur, which is a political conflict. It is important that the Council send a strong message to all the parties to speedily resume inclusive talks. Unfortunately, the political progress made in February with the first round of the Doha talks has not yet produced concrete results. The political process in the Sudan has apparently frozen, in particular after the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for President Omer Al-Bashir. The ICC issue has dominated and polarized Sudanese political life. It has weakened the position of those in the Sudan who have been working for compromise and consensus and has encouraged militant sentiment on both sides. We need to find common ground and empower moderate elements, civil society elements in particular, to defuse the tensions. Although, unfortunately, the chances for a comprehensive ceasefire seem slim, a short-term cessation of hostilities between the parties is possible. UNAMID has repeatedly expressed its willingness to use everything at its disposal to monitor such a cessation of hostilities. We have drawn up action plans to that end. Comprehensive, fast, rigorous and credible monitoring of violent incidents, with immediate reporting to the Council and the African Union, would be an important step towards reducing tension and restoring confidence. Lastly, we must never forget that Darfur is part of the Sudan and that a solution to the crisis in Darfur is part and parcel of the wider national Sudanese issue. Nor must we forget that the people of Darfur are Sudanese citizens who have the right to participate in the resolution of key national issues, such as the establishment of a democratically elected Government. Darfur should not hold the national democratization processes hostage, but neither should Darfurians be denied their democratic right to participate in shaping the future of the Sudan as a nation. I would now like to address the humanitarian situation. At the beginning of this year, the humanitarian crisis in Darfur was, as a whole, contained. The supply of food, medical care and other essential services to the affected population was adequate. Under very difficult and dangerous conditions, humanitarian organizations were carrying out an immense lifesaving operation in Darfur. In addition, the harvest was better than the year before, and the destruction of crops by nomadic groups had been reduced. The health situation was also relatively good, with the exception of a meningitis outbreak, with 40 cases reported. Our major concern at that time was displacement of populations due to military activities in Southern Darfur, with the arrival of thousands of people in the Zam Zam camp in Northern Darfur. The 4 March 2009 decision by the Government of Sudan to expel 13 international non-governmental organizations and to suspend the work of three local non-governmental organizations has completely altered the situation. This act directed against those indispensable organizations has resulted in an interruption in the delivery of essential humanitarian services to the affected population. Although UNAMID does not have a humanitarian mandate, we are deeply concerned about the risk of humanitarian catastrophe, as we are the most visible representatives of the international community in Darfur and a humanitarian crisis would only further complicate our operations. That is why we support all the efforts of our colleagues in the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), who have been following and managing this situation along with the Government of the Sudan. I turn now to the issue of the deployment of UNAMID. The efforts made by the Council and its members have been key factors in overcoming the huge challenges posed by the deployment of UNAMID. I am pleased to report to the Council that by the end of 2008 we had deployed two thirds of our troops. We have identified all the troop-contributing countries and think that by the end of this year we will be able to deploy every unit planned and thus have over 90 per cent of our authorized strength. Unfortunately, we must still identify countries that can contribute a few essential units: logistics, transport and military utility helicopters. As I noted, we are two-thirds deployed, but due to the lack of those resources our operational capacity is far from that level. In this regard, we would like to express our particular gratitude to the Government of Ethiopia, which has agreed to provide us with five tactical helicopters. Our cooperation with the Government of the Sudan has been good. The tripartite mechanism between the United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese Government has worked very well and has greatly facilitated our work. UNAMID was privileged to host the fifth meeting of that mechanism on 31 March 2009. I must mention that, after the recent fire that devastated our facilities, we were grateful again for the assistance of the Sudanese Government. Today, UNAMID is deployed in every part of Darfur. As I have said, we have two thirds of our military personnel deployed. In addition, thanks to our civilian police, civil affairs officers, human rights officers, political affairs officers and the staff of the Darfur- Darfur dialogue, we maintain close contacts with all parties and civil society. We monitor the situation on a daily basis and are in a position to accurately brief the Council. UNAMID’s voice is heard and listened to, and we can speak with increasing authority on the situation on the ground. In assessing UNAMID’s role, unfortunately we cannot yet claim success. Indeed, the war in Darfur continues. Civilians continue to face unacceptable risks. Millions of people are still in displaced person camps or are refugees. Given the prevailing insecurity, they cannot return to their homes or resume their normal lives. No solution has been found to remedy the great wrongs and injustices that have been committed, particularly at the height of hostilities in 2003 and 2004. It cannot be said, however, that we have failed. Our teams are working around the clock to prevent the return of violence and killing. This preventive role is not always visible, but it is important. In January, the JEM takeover of the town of Muhajiriya and the Government counteroffensive gravely endangered thousands of civilians. We decided to keep our forces in the town, although we were under severe pressure to leave. That was the correct decision by the Secretary-General. When a disaster does not happen, it is not reported by the media. Muhajiriya was a disaster that did not happen. During the attacks and counter-attacks on Muhajiriya, including by aerial bombardment, nearly 10,000 civilians looking for protection gathered in the area next to UNAMID base. With the Government and JEM, we were able to negotiate the establishment of a humanitarian perimeter. The situation in the Kalma displaced persons camp in August 2008 is well known. It, too, was a disaster that did not happen because, without UNAMID’s intervention, we would have seen many more than 38 dead. Today, UNAMID is present 24 hours a day in Kalma, and our intention is to do the same in all the major displaced person camps in Darfur. Another major source of violence is inter-tribal fighting. UNAMID is often involved in the quest for peace or the prevention of these conflicts. Just recently in the town of Khor Abeche, UNAMID stopped an incident of cattle theft from escalating into a lethal and uncontrollable intercommunal clash. In addition, the activities of our civil affairs officers, human rights officers, political affairs officers, and the Darfur- Darfur Dialogue and Consultation process are promoting local reconciliation and peace. In many cases, these local agreements have helped to stabilize the situation. On the ground in Darfur, we face day-to-day challenges. At present, our most pressing concerns include, first, the need to stabilize the humanitarian situation, which is under way. Secondly, we must respond to a diverse set of threats to security as we continue to deploy the Mission in order to reach full capability. The mandate of UNAMID derives from the responsibility to protect, and we will be able to consider our mission accomplished only when the people of Darfur live in lasting peace and security. That will require a political settlement for the whole of the Sudan. Before concluding, I would like to commend the extraordinary work of the military and civilian personnel of UNAMID. I would like in particular to honour the memory of our 14 colleagues who have lost their lives in the service of the people of Darfur. I sincerely believe that the role of UNAMID is increasingly recognized by the people of Darfur. In a mission such as ours, publicity is given to failures and setbacks, and successes attract little attention. But I can say without fanfare that we are making progress. Our success is ultimately in the hands of the political leaders of the Sudan. It is their decision that will determine whether the people of Darfur can live in peace or must face the hardships of war. We need a collective international commitment, represented at the highest level by the Council, to make them understand that.

I thank Mr. Adada for his briefing, which will be extremely helpful to Council members. There are no further speakers on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.