S/PV.6519 Security Council

I thank Mr. Khare for his briefing. I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of the Sudan.

The report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Darfur (S/2011/244) and the implementation of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in the framework of political developments indicates that progress has been made in the Doha negotiations, reflecting the onset of the political process. That is a source of hope. I should like here to stress the importance of inter-Darfurian dialogue to give voice to the silent majority of Darfur in all social categories and strata, including tribal leaders, civil administrators and civil society organizations with experience on the ground in Darfur, on whom any agreement on Darfur will depend. We have transmitted to the Security Council the decree issued by the President of the Republic on 29 March calling for a referendum on the administrative status of Darfur. As Council members are aware, paragraph 55 of the Darfur Peace Agreement stipulates that the “permanent status of Darfur shall be determined through a referendum held simultaneously in the three states of Darfur”. Thus, the convening of the referendum on the administrative status of Darfur is in implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Furthermore, it is well known that my country is drafting a new constitution to take effect following the end of the transitional period for the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on 9 July. The preparation of the prospective permanent constitution will require the administrative status of Darfur to be settled first. We have informed the Security Council in writing of the details of the referendum, which is expected to be held under the supervision of the National Electoral Commission and international, regional and local observers. We note that the Government of the Sudan is making strenuous efforts to provide an appropriate atmosphere for the conduct of the referendum and to design a package of arrangements, including the lifting of the state of emergency and guarantees of the freedoms of assembly and expression. The Government will pursue its consultations with political forces, the signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement and the Declaration of Principles, UNAMID, the African Union Panel of the Wise led by President Thabo Mbeki, and other international actors with a view to conducting the referendum in a manner that will achieve the desired goal of enabling the people of Darfur to participate in the voting process to determine in an impartial manner the administrative of Darfur. In outlining the security situation in Darfur, the report before us indicates that tribal disputes, banditry and plunder by armed groups are the principal sources of insecurity in some parts of the region. As members of the Council well know, certain leaders of armed movements have pursued their consistent violations of the ceasefire and attacks on police stations. Our Government has therefore assumed its responsibility for extending security and the rule of law and guaranteeing the delivery of humanitarian assistance through regular security operations. Some claim that our forces have undertaken aerial bombardment, but such claims cannot belie the truth that stability and security now prevail in all provinces of Darfur, with the exception of a few pockets where certain armed groups have taken refuge. With regard to the humanitarian situation in Darfur, a high-level committee is in place to follow up the implementation of the humanitarian protocol. The Government of the Sudan, UNAMID and representatives of humanitarian organizations working in Darfur all participate in that committee. The committee continues to regularly oversee humanitarian operations in the region. Paragraph 12 of the report of the Secretary-General refers to the decrease in attacks on humanitarian personnel, which was the result of police security patrols carried out with the participation of UNAMID. Paragraph 51 of the Secretary-General’s report sets out the current situation in UNAMID, which is better as compared to many other peace missions. Suffice it to say, that 92 per cent of the Mission’s military force is now deployed on the ground. That is in addition to the police and civilian elements already deployed. This reflects my Government’s seriousness and eagerness to cooperate with the United Nations. In that connection, I would like to say that, given that this is such a major mission, the granting of entry visas may be delayed because of routine procedures. That should not distract attention from the actual cooperation that exists, which led to the deployment of the Mission’s components. With regard to the draft before the Council concerning visas, I would like to say that the backlog of pending visas is due to duplications in requests made through more than one channel, rather than just through the UNAMID command. In that regard, I wish to recall that, as soon as this issue was raised under the tripartite meeting mechanism, my Government agreed to grant the requested entry visas — a total of 600 such visas. However, requests are being submitted daily and there are now more than 1,000 such requests. This is normal. I wish to reassure the Council that we will grant visas for all requests. I would also like to say that, while we recognize the difficulties in outreach to police personnel in Darfur who do not speak Arabic, we still request UNAMID and Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) officials to employ Arabic-speaking personnel, which will facilitate their mission. We would like to express our appreciation for the considerable efforts made by the Mission and DPKO in that regard. In conclusion, the Government of the Sudan is moving ahead with its intensive efforts to achieve sustainable and comprehensive peace in Darfur as soon as possible. We are doing so by pressing ahead with the political process internally through the Darfur dialogue. That, in turn, complements efforts currently under way by the joint mediation in Doha. I appeal to the Council not to leave the peace process in Darfur contingent upon the whims of the rebel leadership, which continues to publicly reject repeated calls from the Security Council and the international community. We hope that the Council will call on rebel leaders to join the negotiating process. The Council is no doubt well aware of its responsibilities and the role entrusted to it by the Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. The achievement of just and comprehensive peace is the only option for the people of Darfur. How long will the Council remain quiet in the face of the rigid and controversial positions adopted by the leaders of movements who in principle reject peace?

I thank the representative of the Sudan for his statement. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.