S/PV.6813 Security Council

Under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Sudan to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2012/548, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. I now give the floor to Mr. Gambari, whom I warmly welcome to the Council. Mr. Gambari: I thank you very much, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the Council once again on the situation in Darfur and the implementation of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). Further to the report of the Secretary-General on UNAMID of 16 July (S/2012/548), which is before the Council, I would like to highlight several key developments related to the political and security situation. While the signatory parties to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, namely, the Government of the Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement, have made notable progress towards its implementation, to date that has been focused mainly on establishing the institutions provided for in the agreement and associated political appointments. In that connection, the parties recognized that many provisions of the Doha Document remained unimplemented several months after their stipulated deadlines. A committee consisting of the signatory parties and UNAMID has revised the implementation timetable to allow for new deadlines on implementing the agreement’s provisions. Representatives of the parties initialled the revised timetable at a ceremony in Khartoum on 18 July, during which they committed to promptly fulfilling their obligations under the agreement. Unlike the situation following the adoption of the Darfur Peace Agreement of 5 May 2006 — which was signed in my country’s capital, Abuja — when the Government of the Sudan had far more resources than political will to implement the agreement, it now appears the Government has the political will to implement the Doha Document but fewer financial resources to fully implement its provisions. It is in this context that the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), with the support of UNAMID and other international partners, has initiated the Darfur Joint Assessment Mission provided for in the Doha Document. The Mission, which is intended to identify and assess needs for economic recovery, development and poverty eradication in Darfur, is projected to be completed by the end of the year and to form the basis for resource mobilization. Its initiation is a positive step that deserves our commendation. As the announcement by President Al-Bashir on 18 June of austerity measures indicates, while the principal responsibility for implementing the Doha Document rests with the signatory parties, they will require the support of the international community to implement the major provisions effectively and in a timely manner. In my capacity as Joint Chief Mediator ad interim, I have continued to work, in consultation with the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Qatar, His Excellency Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, who has retained the portfolio for mediation on the Darfur conflict, towards the resumption of negotiations between the Government of the Sudan and non-signatory armed movements. In this regard, in addition to my engagement with the major movements, several smaller armed movements and factions have approached me expressing interest in holding talks with the Government using the Doha Document as a basis for discussions. These movements are listed in the latest report. In my recent discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Al-Mahmoud, we agreed that the environment was suitable for a relaunch of the mediation process through preliminary consultations with all interested opposition movements. The intention would be to consolidate the gains being made through the implementation of the Doha Document and apply pressure on the hold-out movements to join the process. During our discussions with the Sudanese Government Minister and Chairman of the Darfur Peace Follow-Up Office, Mr. Amin Hassan Omar, he expressed the Government’s willingness to engage with the movements using the Doha Document as a framework for discussions. UNAMID has continued to assist the parties in their efforts to disseminate the Doha Document, in conjunction with civil society organizations. On 5 July, the last dissemination workshop was held at El Fasher University, bringing the total of completed workshops to 140, with the participation of over 25,000 individuals in the five Darfur states, over 30 per cent of whom were women. Almost all the workshops took place without restrictions. Within the context of the dissemination efforts, the Mission has sought the views of Darfuri stakeholders on the role of the Darfur internal dialogue and consultations in consolidating peace and encouraging reconciliation, as provided for in the Doha Document. While they expressed concern about whether the majority of stakeholder groups would be allowed to participate in a process free from manipulation by the parties to the conflict, they nevertheless called for the process to start immediately. I had the privilege of attending the DRA’s preparatory All Darfur Stakeholders Conference in El Fasher from 10 to 12 July. The stated objective of the Conference was to “mobilize popular, political and diplomatic support for the Doha Document; mobilize efforts and potentials for supporting development programmes; promote principles of team work and values of democracy and dialogue; create an environment conducive to repairing the social fabric and voluntary return of internally displaced persons; and create good conditions for launching the Darfur-Darfur dialogue”. The Conference was opened by the First Vice-President of the Republic, Mr. Ali Osman Taha. It was attended by several ministers, members of the diplomatic corps based in Khartoum and members of the Doha Document Implementation Follow-Up Commission. UNAMID provided logistics support to the conference, transporting more than 800 participants from a broad range of Darfuri stakeholder groups. The Conference’s principal achievement is that it provided a forum, for the first time since Doha and inside Darfur, for Darfuri stakeholders to take stock and recommend the way forward. Over 110 people expressed their views freely and clearly during the Conference. Almost all of them were very critical of the Government in their approach. We have heard of no instances of reprisal or intimidation of participants. The Conference, in combination with the Doha Document dissemination workshops conducted throughout Darfur, provided lessons learned in preparations for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugee returns conference planned by the DRA in the fall, as well as the eventual Darfur internal dialogue and consultations. UNAMID will continue to monitor the establishment of elements that facilitate an enabling environment ahead of the conduct of the internal dialogue. With the experiences gained and views expressed by Darfuris during the Doha Document dissemination exercise, and also at the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference, prospects appear positive for the proposed dialogue and consultations. In this regard, the Darfur Regional Authority should be commended for organizing the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference during the current atmosphere of economic crisis and frustration. It is a manifestation of the DRA’s commitment to dialogue and partnership with the people of Darfur on the region’s future. Further to the military clashes described in the report before the Council, UNAMID peacekeepers verified that, on 8 July, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) aircraft dropped 24 bombs approximately 20 kilometres south of Tawilla, in North Darfur, seven of which landed four kilometers from an IDP camp. A UNAMID patrol visited and confirmed the safety of four non-governmental organization personnel stranded in Khartoum Jadid village by the bombing. The patrol provided security information to the aid workers and offered to escort them to safety. They subsequently reached El Fasher safely after opting to proceed of their own accord. On 16 July, Government and unidentified armed movement forces then clashed 29 kilometres south-east of Tawilla. Local sources corroborated reports that a SAF helicopter was shot down by movement ground forces during the fighting. A further two bombs were dropped by SAF aircraft on 18 July, 23 kilometres south of Tawilla. The clashes followed reports of carjackings and robberies of civilians by unidentified armed groups active in the area, as well as, on 26 June, the ambush of a Sudanese Armed Forces convoy 30 kilometres south of Tawilla. Government soldiers were allegedly killed and vehicles stolen in the attack. UNAMID peacekeepers verified the reports of bombings and clashes and assessed the populations’ protection needs. There were no reported civilian casualties. An ordnance disposal team safely disposed of eight unexploded bombs and several unexploded rockets. A UNAMID patrol to Dally IDP camp, eight kilometres south of Tawilla, ascertained that the fighting had displaced approximately 750 people. A humanitarian assessment mission to the area was conducted on 18 July, the findings of which will inform assistance to be provided by the aid agencies. In other incidents, on 8 July two unidentified armed men who entered Hamadiya camp near Zalingei, Central Darfur, were confronted and fatally assaulted by residents who suspected them of criminal activity. The following day, nine camp residents were abducted from the camp. The abductees have demanded a ransom for the hostages, compensation for the two persons killed, and the handing over of the perpetrators of the assaults. Camp leaders, many of whom support the non-signatory movement Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid, have refused to allow Government authorities access to the camp to investigate the killings. UNAMID is engaging with local authorities, camp leaders and neighbouring communities to ease tensions and facilitate a peaceful resolution of the situation. Peacekeepers have been deployed around the camp to deter further violence. Furthermore, the frequency of UNAMID police patrols within the camp has been increased. On 16 and 18 July, clashes between groups of Rezeigat and Misseriya at Abu Jabra, East Darfur, near the border with Southern Kordofan, were triggered by a dispute over land and grazing rights. According to local sources, approximately 60 people were killed in the fighting. Upon receiving reports of the fighting, UNAMID dispatched a team to the area to avert further conflict. The mission also transported local authorities, including the East Darfur Wali and tribal leaders, for discussions with community leaders in order to call for calm. Sudanese armed forces have been deployed between the groups. Tensions have eased following the intervention by UNAMID and local authorities. UNAMID, whose intervention earned commendation by local authorities in East Darfur, continues to monitor the situation closely and to support local reconciliation efforts. The challenges facing Darfur today are many, but through the determination and commitment to sustainable peace championed by the staff of UNAMID and the people of Darfur, considerable progress has been made. Politically, the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and the African Union and United Nations framework for the Darfur peace process are key documents capable of steering Sudanese and international engagement in Darfur along a path towards a comprehensive and inclusive settlement of the conflict. Furthermore, both documents offer a means through which the everyday lives of Darfuris can be improved. With the establishment of the Darfur Regional Authority, we in UNAMID now have a new and direct partner with which to advance our common goal of peace in Darfur. I would like to emphasize the importance of working with the DRA and other institutions to build their capacity at this critical juncture in the peace process. It is time for the task of peacekeeping to be complemented by initiatives that advance peacebuilding and early recovery and development in Darfur. We must redouble our commitment to restore basic services to more communities and facilitate early recovery and reconstruction. In my view, that is the key to consolidating our gains in the region and to persuading communities ambivalent about the peace process to join it. I should like to say, with respect, that while sustainable peace is in sight, there remains some way to go. What progress has been made remains fragile and is easily reversible, should we lose focus. The people of Darfur have suffered too long, and too deeply, for us to allow any setbacks or regression. We must instead remain focused, determined and committed to making progress along the path to peace and reconciliation in Darfur.

I thank Mr. Gambari for his briefing on the situation in Darfur. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

First of all, I should like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. Through you, I should also like to convey my gratitude to Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, Joint Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the African Union and the United Nations for Dafur, for the briefing he has given us on the report (S/2012/548) of the Secretary-General on the situation in Darfur and on the state of the implementation of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). We hope that our discussion today will lead to the strengthening of the peace process and to stability throughout Darfur, following an arduous path towards the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace. The report of the Secretary-General before the Council emphasizes that there has been progress on the political front when it comes to the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace. That came about once the Darfur Regional Authority embarked upon its task of establishing its offices in both Darfur and Khartoum. Paragraph 17 of the report also refers to the austerity measures recently introduced by the Government of the Sudan. In spite of them, however, between 3 and 18 April the Government earmarked approximately $27 million for the Darfur Regional Authority. The Government of the Sudan continues to make all the necessary efforts to fund the Authority. I would also like to refer to paragraph 6 of the report, which mentions our Government’s issuance of two decrees intended to expedite the implementation of the Doha Document. The first established the High Follow-up Committee for Peace in Darfur, which is chaired by the President himself. The second decree broadened the membership of the Darfur Peace Follow-up Office, which had been established pursuant to the Doha Document itself. We note that the draft resolution on extending the mandate of UNAMID does not adequately reflect that progress. Various parts of the draft resolution contain negative references with respect to serious delays in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, which contradicts what we have just hear from Mr. Gambari. He pointed out that a number of rebel movements had been in contact with him and with the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Qatar in an effort to join the Doha Document. Mr. Gambari also pointed out that 140 workshops had been jointly organized by UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan, including the participation of many individuals from Darfur, with a view to considering the Document and its implementation. Mr. Gambari also mentioned that those workshops were organized without restrictions and that women made up more than 30 per cent of the participants. All of that bears witness to the fact that there has been real progress in the march towards peace in Darfur, but the draft resolution to extend the mandate of UNAMID does not reflect all of that progress. Similarly, we have heard Mr. Gambari say, and as is also positively reflected in the Secretary-General’s report, that the Darfur conference held in El Fasher from 10 to 12 July enjoyed the participation of a large number of members of the rebel movements. They were perfectly free to participate in the conference with no restrictions on their freedom of speech, and they all criticized the Government. Does that not bear witness to the seriousness and the commitment of the Government to the peace process in Darfur? We expect the Security Council to reflect that commitment in the draft resolution in order to encourage all the parties to implement and meet all expectations. Paragraph 5 of the report of the Secretary-General reflects the fact that the high committee consisting of the signatory parties of the Doha Document and UNAMID met in June 2012 and agreed on a precise timetable for the implementation of the Doha Document. That new, positive development is reflected in the context of a detailed schedule for implementation of the Doha Document. We also expected the draft resolution to include provisions that would be more firm vis-à-vis the movements that are refusing peace, and contain more binding and stringent language, especially after the Secretary-General indicates in the report that the rebel movements rejecting peace in Darfur are backing their declarations through their adherence to the so-called Sudan Revolutionary Front, according to which their goal is to overthrow the Government. Moreover, the representatives of these movements have made it crystal clear to Mr. Gambari, according to the Secretary-General’s report, that they are committed to the goal of the Sudan Revolutionary Front to overthrow the Government by force and military action. Is it possible that the draft resolution concerning the extension of the mandate of UNAMID does not mention or condemn those serious developments, since the principle task of the Council is to maintain international peace and security? The absence of a clear condemnation of movements that have openly declared their goal to overthrow the Government is tantamount to encouraging that grave trend. The report before us makes it clear that development and reconstruction projects enjoy the priority attention of the Government and the Liberation and Justice Movement in order to meet the need for stability in Darfur and to secure the voluntary return of displaced persons, as noted in the humanitarian section of the report, which in paragraph 36 states that 37,444 internally displaced persons and 1,145 refugees returned home and resumed their normal daily lives in the period between 1 January and 31 March 2012. That is a welcome and positive development, as were the continuing voluntary returns in April, May and June, which confirms the current stability and security in the governorate of Darfur. At the same time, it makes clear that the international community in general should offer the support necessary to implement quick-impact projects and programmes in support of returnees. In that regard, we welcome the meeting held on 28 May, in which representatives of the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and a number of international partners participated. The meeting marked the start of joint planning for the Darfur Joint Assessment Mission provided for in the Doha Document in order to assess development needs, eradicate poverty and ensure sustainable economic activity in Darfur. What is striking is that, while the Secretary-General’s report notes the political activities of the various parties under the Doha Document, embracing civil society in Darfur, the draft resolution circulating among Council members does not refer to all aspects necessary to extend the Mission’s mandate. With respect to the contents of the draft resolution concerning the movement of the Mission, we note that UNAMID has stepped up its daily patrols to some 160 a day, as compared to 90 in previous periods. This is evidence of the freedom of movement enjoyed by UNAMID. We further note that before coming to New York, Joint Special Representative Mr. Ibrahim Gambari himself participated in a helicopter patrol over the five administrative capitals El Fasher, El Geneina, Nyala, Zalingei and El Daein in only two days. First of all, we thank him for his commendable efforts in undertaking that task. What is important to me is that those patrols prove the complete freedom of movement of all UNAMID staff given the visits to the various corners of Darfur. Those visits demonstrate the stability, peace and security in Darfur. Another significant issue that I would like to share with the Council at the end of my statement concerns a matter that is extremely important to my Government, namely, linking the Lord’s Resistance Army to the Darfur issue. As the Council knows, UNAMID has a mandate only for the Darfur region. Moreover, the Lord’s Resistance Army is a rebel movement within the territory of Uganda, and the Sudan has no common border with Uganda. Furthermore, there are no elements of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebellion inside Darfur and there is no official information based on credible reports to that effect in Darfur. My country rejects the inclusion of the issue of the Lord’s Resistance Army in the question of Darfur. I would like to state openly to all Council members that we have cooperated wholeheartedly in order to further the peace process in Darfur. We continue to cooperate with UNAMID and its officials, who have borne witness to our cooperation. However, including the issue of the Lord’s Resistance Army will be an impediment and a matter for condemnation that could perhaps affect our cooperation with UNAMID and its work in Darfur. If we truly wish to establish peace, stability and security, we should keep that issue very distinct from UNAMID and Darfur. Otherwise, we will have hampered the peace process. I want to make that important message very clear. There are no grounds for linking the two issues of the Lord’s Resistance Army and UNAMID. If the draft resolution includes it, that will complicate relations between the Government of the Sudan and UNAMID, and those who support such a position will be responsible for the consequences arising therefrom. Finally, I would like to say that the Government of the Sudan vigorously condemns the Lord’s Resistance Army movement. We are ready to cooperate with all members of the international community in order to put an end to it. However, linking it to Darfur and UNAMID is something that we condemn and deem unwarranted. In conclusion, I would briefly like to say that we trust the Council to commit itself to peace and security by ensuring that its draft resolution contains a clear condemnation of the so-called Sudan Revolutionary Front and its declared objective of overthrowing the Government of the Sudan by force.

There are no further speakers inscribed on the list. I invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.