S/PV.6749 Security Council

The President: The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. After consultations among Council members, I have been authorized to make the following statement on their behalf: "The Security Council expresses its deep and growing alarm at the escalating conflict between the Sudan and South Sudan, as manifested most recently by the seizure and occupation of the town of Heglig and its oil fields in the Sudan by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The recent violence threatens to return both countries to full-scale war and the period of tragic loss of life and suffering, destroyed infrastructure and economic devastation, which they have worked so hard and so long to overcome. The Security Council demands a complete, immediate and unconditional end to all fighting; the withdrawal of the SPLA from Heglig; an end to Sudanese Armed Forces aerial bombardments; an end to repeated incidents of cross-border violence between the Sudan and South Sudan; and an end to support by both sides to proxies in the other country. "The Security Council affirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both the Sudan and South Sudan. It recalls the importance of the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation. "The Security Council demands that both sides redeploy their forces 10 kilometres outside the North/South 1 January 1956 borderline in accordance with their Agreements of 29 June and 30 July 2011. It urges the Sudan and South Sudan to take immediate steps to establish a safe demilitarized border zone and activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, and reiterates its readiness to continue to support the parties in implementing this agreement with the support of the United Nations Interim the Security Force for Abyei, in accordance with resolution 2024 (2011). "The Security Council calls on the Sudan and South Sudan to respect the letter and spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on Non- Aggression and Cooperation of 10 February 2012. "The Security Council reiterates its demand that the Sudan and South Sudan urgently redeploy their security forces immediately from the Abyei Area in accordance with their Agreement of 20 June 2011 and resolution 1990 (2011). "The Security Council calls upon the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan urgently and peacefully to resolve the fundamental issues of security and border management, the situations in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, and all outstanding Comprehensive Peace Agreement issues that are fueling the mistrust between the two countries. It further calls on the leaders of the Sudan and South Sudan to meet immediately in a summit as previously planned in order to advance the issues that stand in the way of achieving lasting peace. "The Security Council underscores its support for the continuing efforts of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to assist the Sudan and South Sudan to reach agreement on all outstanding issues, and encourages continuing partnership with the United Nations in this regard. "The Security Council views the current situation as a serious threat to international peace and security. It will continue to follow the situation closely, and will take further steps as necessary. The Security Council looks forward to receiving a briefing from the AUHIP and Special Envoy Menkerios in the coming days." This statement will be issued as a document of Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2012/12. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 3.10p.m. 12-2919]