S/PV.6716 Security Council

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2035 (2012). I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

I thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to address the Council at this meeting, which is of particular importance as the occasion for the renewal of the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Darfur. I shall make my statement brief and concise. By participating in this meeting, I seek once again to reaffirm our determination and intention to achieve a final settlement of the conflict that began in 2003. We have had a number of successes in the peaceful settlement process laid out in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The members of the Security Council are bearing witness to the onset of implementation of the Document by the Darfur Regional Authority, which began its work just a few days ago. I commend the various provisions of resolution 2035 (2012), reaffirming that the Darfur conflict cannot be resolved by military means. We have been convinced of that from the outset, as we reiterated to our brothers in South Sudan through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending the long- standing conflict there. We also recognize the Security Council’s support for the efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution. While that support is certainly positive, we should not like to see it remain mere words on paper; it needs to lead to concrete action. In that regard, I should like to refer to an incident that I reported to the Council, in which the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) crossed the border into South Sudan equipped with logistics and weapons supplied by the Libyan regime. Our report was replete with details concerning the location of those forces in South Sudan. I was informed that a member of the Panel of Experts went to South Sudan, where the Government did not grant him the access he needed to pinpoint the location of the Libyan weapons. Regrettably, the Council failed to act on this matter. I mention that incident because the JEM is the only armed force that remains active in Darfur and has not joined the peace process. Two of its leaders are now in South Sudan, and members of the Council are no doubt aware that they have launched a movement to overthrow the Government in Khartoum by armed force. I appeal to all Council members to act on the provisions of resolution 2035 (2012) and to translate them into sustained efforts to punish that movement. A number of resolutions have insisted that those who do not join the peace process will be penalized and held accountable for their refusal. I wish to touch on two other issues. First, we are very optimistic with regard to the Regional Authority’s activities, which will undoubtedly enjoy swift success. However, we need the Council’s support to bring pressure to bear on the rebel groups that refuse to negotiate. Secondly, I wish to reiterate that, as my brother the representative of Colombia is well aware, we intend to cooperate fully with him in order to facilitate the Panel of Experts’ mission. I was therefore very surprised to find reference in the resolution to obstacles, including delays in the issuance of visas, and other impediments to the Panel’s fulfilment of its mandate. Such wording, copied from other resolutions, undermines the Council’s credibility, the activities of the Panel and the work of the Committee. I note that we granted visas to the Panel’s members within 24 hours of being requested to do so, and that we facilitated its meetings with all relevant individuals in the Sudan. I received two letters from the Chair of the Committee stressing the cooperation extended by the Government of the Sudan to the Panel. I was also surprised to see reference in the resolution to ongoing military action, including aerial bombardments. Such attacks are things of the past, and we did not expect the resolution to contain such a paragraph.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council will remain seized of the matter.