S/PV.6546 Security Council

I will speak on behalf of Ambassador Araud, who could not be with us this afternoon. As in past years, the Security Council in May conducted a weeklong mission to Africa. From 19 to 26 May, the Security Council visited Addis Ababa; Khartoum and Juba, in the Sudan; and, finally, Nairobi, where it considered the issue of Somalia, since it was not able to go to Mogadishu. The Security Council was able to meet with the political authorities of the countries visited and with representatives of the United Nations on the ground, in particular those responsible for Council-mandated peacekeeping operations. The mission also made it possible for the Security Council to meet representatives of civil society. France coordinated the first segment of this mission, the visit to Addis Ababa. I will therefore speak about that segment, and then my United States, Russian, British and South African colleagues, who led the other segments, will take the floor. As is well known, the Security Council now meets with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union every year. Last year the meeting was held in New York; under the rule of alternation, it was held this year at the headquarters of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, on 21 May. The Peace and Security Council was chaired by the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the African Union, Mr. Pepani. The African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, also took part in the meeting. During the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, the Security Council was able to discuss with the Permanent Representatives members of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union how the two institutions can work together and to assess their cooperation in terms of conflict prevention and settlement and of peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The members of the Security Council and of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union reasserted the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security and the mandate of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union with regard to the promotion of peace and security in Africa. They also reasserted the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations with regard to regional arrangements in the settlement of conflicts. The meeting enabled us to consider in detail four issues that are currently on the agendas of both institutions: Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, the Sudan and Somalia. Each was the subject of frank and substantive discussions, with the objective being to establish a common vision that would allow the United Nations and the African Union to implement their actions more effectively. Following the meeting, an outcome statement was adopted that welcomes in particular the enhancement of cooperation between the Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. It refers also to the concerns of and the priorities expressed by both Councils with regard to Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, the Sudan and Somalia. In addition to meeting with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the Security Council met with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles Zenawi. The discussions, which lasted for more than an hour, allowed us to consider mainly the situation in the Sudan and in Somalia, as well as the issues of Eritrea and Libya. Before the Permanent Representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation — who will deal with the Sudan segment — take the floor, I should like to close by thanking the team at the United Nations Office to the African Union in Addis Ababa, which was established on 1 July 2010, for the support and the welcome they provided us during the Security Council’s visit, and in particular the Head of the Office, Mr. Zachary Muburi-Muita.

On behalf of Ambassador Churkin, with whom I co-led the trip to the Sudan, I would like to make the following report. Unfortunately, the situation in Abyei rapidly deteriorated as we travelled to the region. Thus, our mission had three overriding purposes: first, to urge a halt to the fighting and to restore calm to Abyei; secondly, to press the North and the South to quickly resolve all outstanding issues necessary to pave the way for two peaceful and successful States beginning on 9 July; and thirdly, to better understand what an independent South Sudan will need from the United Nations and the international community. The crisis in Abyei affected both our itinerary and our agenda, and we were unable to visit the Abyei area as planned. But being on the ground in the Sudan enabled us to press this critical issue with both parties and to respond to the emerging crisis in real time. That included issuing a strong press statement while we were in Khartoum that called for the immediate withdrawal of all forces from Abyei and its environs. Our visit to the Sudan included travel not only to Khartoum but also to Wau, Juba and Malau. We began in Khartoum, where we met with several Government officials. Foreign Minister Karti, unfortunately, was ill and did not join our meeting as planned. However, we met with the Minister of State for the Presidency, Amin Hassan Omer; Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, our colleague here at the United Nations; and a number of other Sudanese interlocutors. We reiterated the Council’s commitment to supporting two viable and successful States as of 9 July. We emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution to the Abyei conflict. We deplored the 19 May attack on a convoy of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), and pointed out that the escalatory response from the Sudanese Armed Forces was unacceptable and constituted a gross violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). We expressed the Council’s deep concern over the level of violence in Darfur and the Sudanese Government’s continued restrictions of access for humanitarian organizations and the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). We asked the Government of the Sudan to fulfil its commitment to processing all UNAMID visas in a timely manner — an urgent issue, given that UNAMID had more than 800 visa requests pending at the time of our meeting. The Government said that it would follow through on its visa commitments; it also reaffirmed its support for the Doha process and committed to lifting the state of emergency in Darfur after the adoption of a final document from the Doha negotiations. The Council also stressed the need for the Government to protect the rights of southerners living in the North. The Government assured us that the basic rights of southerners in the North would be protected. The Sudanese cancelled a previously scheduled meeting with Vice-President Taha at the last minute. As Ambassador Churkin explained at the press conference later that day, this was an important opportunity missed by the Government to discuss Abyei and other pressing issues with the Council. Separately, we received informative briefings on UNMIS and UNAMID that added to our understanding of their work and the challenges that they face in the field day to day. Joint Special Representative Gambari and Force Commander Nyamvumba detailed the increasingly robust posture of UNAMID. We welcomed the news that the Mission has increased its patrols to an average of 160 per day, up from approximately 90 per day in late 2010. The humanitarian briefing, however, was dispiriting. We learned that only 250 or so international staff remain in Darfur, which, as members of the Council know, is an area roughly the size of France. That number used to be around 1,000. In Khartoum, we also met with former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the Chair of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel. He helpfully outlined his efforts to facilitate negotiations on outstanding CPA issues and the key post- referendum arrangements. President Mbeki emphasized that we are at the point at which these arrangements must be resolved by parties at a senior political level. The Council agreed and expressed its strong support for his ongoing work. We visited the Mayo Camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Khartoum, where we heard the concerns of southerners about a lack of protection, health care, education and job prospects. Many have lived in the camp for decades, but all expressed a keen desire to return to the South. These hopes remain largely unrealized for that group in the face of poverty, insufficient transportation and security concerns. Some returnees have reportedly been attacked as they journeyed back to the South. We also met with Misseriya and Ngok Dinka representatives during our time in the Sudan. We felt that it was critical to hear first hand from both groups. In each meeting, we emphasized the Council’s commitment to implementing the CPA and to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in Abyei. After Khartoum, the Council visited Wau in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, South Sudan. We were moved by the deep commitment of the staff at the Mary Help Centre. Our tour of its health clinic, school and related facilities underscored the lack of infrastructure throughout the South. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with students and representatives of civil society organizations. They described their excitement about independence, as well as the vast challenges still to be overcome. Several asked for the international community’s help in demarcating the North-South border and in creating a buffer zone between northern and southern forces. We heard repeatedly of the economic hardship caused by the North’s recent closure of several border crossings. Above all, we heard the expression of a strong yearning for greater educational opportunities and better health care. From Wau, we went to Juba, where the Council had a productive meeting with President Salva Kiir, Vice-President Riek Mashar and the Government of South Sudan’s ministers. We reiterated our view that the fates and well-being of the peoples of the North and South are intertwined, and urged both parties to resume and intensify their dialogue to resolve the status of Abyei and all remaining issues. We reiterated our grave concern regarding events in Abyei, including the Council’s condemnation of the attack undertaken by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army on the United Nations convoy on 19 May. President Kiir agreed that stability in the South depends on a stable neighbour in the North. He provided a broad overview of the remaining CPA and post-referendum issues and, with respect to Abyei, expressed regret to the United Nations for the attack on its convoy. The Council travelled by helicopter to Malau, a small village in Jonglei state, to view a demonstration by a newly formed livestock protection unit. The tour of Malau underscored the magnitude of the challenges facing the South, particularly with respect to internal security. While the livestock protection unit is a worthy initiative, the economic, social and political effects of cattle-rustling and associated child abductions remain daunting. We later visited Jebel Kujur, a way station in Juba operated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, where vulnerable returnees are provided with food, water and medical services while the International Organization for Migration arranges for their onward transport. We spoke with recent returnees as they waited to load their possessions onto buses to continue their journey to other parts of the South. Nearly 341,000 southerners living in the North returned to Southern Sudan and the three areas between 30 October 2010 and 3 May 2011. We made a point again of including civil society groups in as much of our programme as possible. In particular, we had a working lunch in Juba with a wide range of representatives of non-governmental organizations. Their work to provide services is inspiring. The Council also conducted an important initial discussion regarding the successor mission to UNMIS, which we are continuing in New York. Last week’s consultations were another important step in this ongoing assessment. Throughout our time in the Sudan, we emphasized the Council’s commitment to the full implementation of the CPA and the need for the parties to resolve outstanding issues before the South gains its independence on 9 July. The crisis in Abyei only reaffirms the urgency of meeting that deadline. We urged the leaders with whom we met to act quickly to reach the political compromises necessary to facilitating two peaceful and successful States emerging next month, when we will welcome the Republic of South Sudan to the international community.

In the spirit of our close cooperation during the mission itself, Ambassador Rice has just briefed the Council in both our names. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): The leg of the Security Council visit in Nairobi was jointly chaired by Ambassador Sangqu and myself. We also worked very cooperatively, but we both have statements to make on this occasion. I will brief colleagues on the meetings that the Council held with the Transitional Federal Institutions, the representatives of Galmudug, Puntland and Somaliland, and members of Somali civil society. Ambassador Sangqu will then brief on the meetings that the Council had with African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development colleagues and with the Kenyan Government. I would first like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mahiga and the staff of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia and the United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia, as well as the members of the United Nations country team, for welcoming the Council and supporting our visit. We are very appreciative of the work that they are doing under difficult circumstances. On 25 May, the Security Council held discussions with the Transitional Federal President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament on the political transition in Somalia. The Security Council mission urged the Transitional Federal Government and the Transitional Federal Parliament to engage fully, constructively and without further delay in the consultative process facilitated by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mahiga, including the forthcoming meeting to be held in Mogadishu; to focus on implementing reforms to build their legitimacy, representativeness and credibility; and to deliver tangible results on the completion of core transitional tasks. The Security Council mission underlined that it was vital that the progress made by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces in consolidating security and stability in Mogadishu were reinforced by progress on the political transition. President Ahmed and Speaker Aden expressed their views on the political transition, in particular on the timing of elections — on which issue they continued to differ. The Security Council mission expressed grave concern about the impact that the discord between the Transitional Federal Institutions was having on the political process and the security situation. It also underlined, in very clear and very strong terms, that it expected the Government and Parliament to reach agreement on the issue of elections rapidly, and no later than the forthcoming consultative meeting in Mogadishu. Later that day, the Security Council met the Presidents of Galmudug and Puntland and representatives of Somaliland to discuss issues of regional security. All highlighted the progress that their Governments had made on security and development, but stressed the threats that their people faced from piracy and terrorism. They outlined the measures that they had taken in response to those threats, including the passing of an anti-piracy law in Puntland and the conviction of 90 pirates in Somaliland. All called for greater international assistance for their efforts in that regard. The Security Council mission recognized the need for the international community to support further stabilization, peacebuilding and socio-economic reconstruction in Somalia, in particular in areas of relative stability, and stressed the need for a comprehensive response to tackle piracy and its underlying causes. In its final meeting on 25 May, the Security Council discussed a range of issues, including the political transition and the security and humanitarian situation in Somalia, with representatives of Somali civil society. In setting out their priorities, the civil society representatives highlighted the need for a new constitution to be developed through an inclusive process, for AMISOM to receive greater international support, for humanitarian assistance to be delivered more effectively and for Somalia to receive more long- term development assistance. Several speakers stressed, however, that security was key, as the Somali private sector could develop quickly in conditions of greater security and political stability. Ambassador Sangqu will now brief on the further meetings that the Security Council held in Nairobi.

As Ambassador Sir Mark Lyall Grant indicated, I co-led the Security Council mission to Kenya. I wish to focus my briefing on the meetings held with the Government of Kenya and with the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and the United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia (UNSOA). The Security Council met with the Vice-President and Prime Minister of Kenya. The Vice-President, the Honourable Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, described the situation in Somalia as the biggest threat to international peace and security and placed the security challenge of Somalia both in its international and regional context and in its domestic context for Kenya. Kenya shares a long border with Somalia and hosts the Dadaab refugee camp, which is the largest such camp in the world. The country also plays an important role in the prosecution and imprisonment of pirates who operate off the coast of Somalia. The Vice-President expressed the view that the international community had failed Somalia. In that regard, he expressed concern that AMISOM was not receiving the requisite support from either the international community or the Security Council. The Vice-President echoed the AU’s request for additional support and called on the Security Council to strengthen AMISOM’s troop levels to 20,000 and for the imposition of no-fly zones and a naval blockade. Kenya also requested greater assistance in its fight against piracy and in dealing with the influx of refugees from Somalia. With regard to political developments in Somalia, the Vice-President expressed concern that the Transitional Federal Government had not taken advantage of the increased security, and stated that the Somali political leadership should stop the personal in- fighting and place the interests of Somalia and Somali people first. The concerns expressed by the Vice- President with regard to terrorism, piracy and support for AMISOM were also echoed by the Prime Minister, the Honourable Mr. Raila Odinga. With regard to political developments in Somalia, the Prime Minister stated that the environment for conducting elections before August did not exist. He proposed that clear timelines be developed for finalizing the constitution-writing process. Both the Vice-President and the Prime Minister cautioned against fatigue by the international community when it comes to Somalia. They appealed for effective multilateral support for ensuring a lasting solution to the Somali conflict. In the joint meeting with the United Nations country team heads, UNPOS, UNSOA and His Excellency Mr. Jerry Rawlings, the African Union High Representative, Ambassador Boubacar Diarra, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, and AMISOM Force Commander Major General Nathan Mugisha, the members of the Security Council had the opportunity to discuss end-of-transition and post-transition arrangements. Ambassador Mahiga, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, updated the meeting on the latest political developments and stressed the need for the Security Council and the international community to speak with one voice in reinforcing the Council’s decision, as agreed in its presidential statement of 11 May (S/PRST/2011/10*). In that statement, the Council emphasized the importance for the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) to reach agreement as soon as possible on the holding of elections, and that no extension could be considered without an agreement among the parties on the date for the elections. During the discussion on the activities of AMISOM to maintain peace and security, the AMISOM Force Commander updated the Council on its recent military successes. The Force Commander and the AU Special Representative also outlined some of the main challenges besetting AMISOM. At the political level, the continued political uncertainty represents a major threat to security. At the operational level, the effectiveness of AMISOM is severely curtailed by, among other things, the lack of equipment and logistical support, the lack of air and maritime support, the lack of protective vehicles and the lack of predictable financing. In addition, the lack of agreement and predeployment training have also delayed the deployment of AMISOM troops to the authorized level of 12,000. President Rawlings underlined the need for coordination among IGAD, the AU and the Security Council, as well as for the territorial integrity of Somalia to be respected. In that connection, he expressed the AU’s support for the need for benchmarks and timeframes to be linked to any extension for the TFIs, as well as the creation of the monitoring mechanism for the implementation of such benchmarks. The joint meeting with our IGAD and AU partners and the Government of Kenya was most useful. We left the meeting with a sense of convergence among the international role players regarding the post- transition phase in Somalia. During our interactions in Nairobi, we experienced an overwhelming expression of support and confidence across the board in the sterling leadership of Special Representative of the Secretary- General Mahiga and his team in facilitating the Somalia consultative conference to be held in Mogadishu, as well as his collaborative efforts with IGAD to facilitate agreement among the Somali leadership on the post-transition phase. In conclusion, these meetings underscore the need for a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the security, humanitarian and development challenges in Somalia. I would like to express my gratitude to Special Representative Mahiga and his team for their tireless efforts to assist the people of Somalia in securing a peaceful future. My gratitude also goes to the African Union and AMISOM for their continued commitment and sacrifice in securing peace and stability in Somalia. Finally, I wish to add my voice to that of Ambassador Lyall Grant in thanking the United Nations Secretariat, at the levels of both Headquarters and at UNPOS and UNSOA, for facilitating and arranging the programme in Nairobi. My thanks also go to all those who assisted us during our visit.

On behalf of the members of the Security Council, I should like to thank all the ambassadors and the members of the Security Council and the Secretariat who participated in the mission for the way in which they discharged their important responsibilities on the Council’s behalf. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. I now invite members to meet for brief consultations.