S/PV.6851 Security Council

In accordance with 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. Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, 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/2012/771, 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. Mulet.

I appreciate the opportunity to report to the Security Council on recent developments in Darfur, based on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) (S/2012/771), of 16 October. Since the report was issued by the Secretary-General, a number of developments have taken place in the peace process in Darfur. Since 17 October, the Acting Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative and Acting Head of UNAMID, Ms. Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane, in her capacity as Joint Chief Mediator ad interim, has facilitated, alongside the Government of the State of Qatar, dialogue between representatives of the Government of the Sudan and a delegation of former members of the Executive Council of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), led by Mohammad Bashar. On 21 October, the two parties signed a declaration providing for an end to hostilities and a commitment to negotiations that will lead to the signing of an agreement adopting the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The start of negotiations is planned for November. In the light of those developments, and in line with the progress in the mediation process, the Joint Chief Mediator ad interim and her team are currently assessing the political and military assets of the various non-signatory factions and movements, while continuing to build confidence among all parties to the conflict, in order to strengthen the inclusive nature of the peace process. With respect to implementation of the Doha Document, work is continuing on the Darfur Joint Assessment Mission that began in May, as noted in the Secretary-General’s report. To date, the technical fact- finding mission has concluded its gathering of data on economic recovery, development and the needs related to poverty eradication in Darfur. Over a period of three weeks, the teams met with the ministers of States and civil society representatives in the capitals of the five states of Darfur, during workshops that attracted 1,420 participants, 25 per cent of whom were women. The results of those efforts will be presented at a donors conference planned for December, in Doha. (spoke in English) Concerning the security provisions of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, on 15 October the Joint Commission met in Khartoum to address the long- standing dispute between the signatory parties over the results of the initial verification of Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) forces, which was conducted from 5 to 9 March. As Council members are aware, the Commission is chaired by the UNAMID acting Joint Special Representative and includes representatives of the signatory parties and international actors.The meeting addressed, primarily, the disagreement of the parties over the results of the verification of LJM forces, and the disarmament and demobilization of militia in Darfur by the Government of the Sudan. With the facilitation of the Joint Commission, the parties agreed to undertake jointly by 15 November, with the support of UNAMID, a desk review of the initial verification results and to verify additional LJM forces not included in the initial exercise due to restrictions by the authorities. The completion of the verification phase is required to enable progress towards the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of LJM combatants or their integration into the Sudanese Armed Forces. Regarding the provisions of the Doha Document on the disarmament of militia by the Government, Government representatives to the Joint Commission agreed to respond by 12 November to the UNAMID Force Commander’s request for additional information about the Government’s disarmament plan, specifically, the identities, strengths and locations of the groups to be disarmed. The implementation of such a plan by the Government would be a significant contribution towards controlling arms and reducing violence in Darfur. Turning now to the implementation of the Mission’s protection of civilians mandate, on 3 October a UNAMID patrol proceeded to Hashaba, 50 kilometres north-east of Kutum, in Northern Darfur, to verify reports of an attack on civilians. Information collected by the patrol and through other interlocutors indicates that what appeared to have begun on 20 September as a dispute over land access between nomadic camel herders and sedentary farmers reportedly escalated when Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)-Minni Minawi and SLA-Unity elements apparently killed a large number of the nomads’ camels. Community sources stated that armed militia then attacked the Hashaba area on 25 September — that is, five days later — including the nearby gold mines, which are under the control of some of the armed movements. The sources also reported aerial bombing of the mining areas by the Sudanese Armed Forces. The UNAMID patrol of 3 October observed one bomb crater during a survey of the town and mining areas, as well as three decomposing bodies and what SLA elements claimed were 16 freshly covered graves containing civilian casualties. The SLA stated that, apart from the town’s gold miners, most of its inhabitants had fled before the assault. Accounts of the number of civilian casualties nevertheless range from 27 to 100. UNAMID made several attempts between 4 and 16 October to return to Hashaba to corroborate the information and to enhance security in the area. Movement restrictions imposed on the grounds of insecurity alternately by Government authorities, armed militia and armed movements prevented the patrols from proceeding. On other occasions, the risk of heavy clashes between militia and armed movement forces made it prudent to delay patrols on the grounds of safety. On 17 October, a UNAMID patrol en route to Hashaba came under attack by unidentified armed assailants approximately 20 kilometres short of its destination. That integrated patrol, which was led by the UNAMID Deputy Force Commander, was comprised of a 16-vehicle convoy, including 114 military and police personnel, plus a civilian delegation including members from civil affairs, human rights, political affairs, the Department of Safety and Security and public information, with the specific purpose of building a comprehensive assessment of the facts around the 25 September attack on Hashaba. The attackers, who fired heavy machine guns, mortars and rocket propelled grenades from high ground, withdrew as UNAMID peacekeepers returned fire. The patrol returned to base without having reached Hashaba. As the Council is aware, regrettably, one South African peacekeeper was killed and three others were wounded in the exchange. UNAMID is continuing its efforts to access Hashaba. This was the second fatal attack on UNAMID peacekeepers in two weeks. On 2 October, a UNAMID patrol was attacked by unidentified armed assailants in El Geneina, in Western Darfur, where three Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight injured. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the Secretary- General’s condemnation of those responsible for these reprehensible acts, and to call on Government authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. In this regard, Government police informed UNAMID on 9 October that they had arrested an unspecified number of people in connection with the incident in El Geneina. However, they are yet to provide information to the Mission about the suspects or their relationship to the attack. (spoke in French) The kidnapping of two UNAMID police officers in Kabkibiya, in Northern Darfur, on 20 August was another significant worry. UNAMID is working closely with the Government of the Sudan to procure their freedom. It is now 65 days since they were kidnapped, and I urge the Government to spare no effort to ensure the safe and sound return of the two officers. Elsewhere, community sources reported clashes on 17 October between the Government and the forces of the SLA-Minni Minawi near Abu Delek, 50 kilometres south-east of El Fasher, in Northern Darfur. UNAMID is currently verifying that information. I recall that this area was the theatre of sporadic fighting throughout the spring between elements of the Popular Defence Forces and the armed movements. UNAMID has increased the number of its patrols in camps and villages in the area, and called on the parties to cease hostilities immediately. The security situation in Darfur, particularly Northern Darfur, has deteriorated in recent weeks. This has increased the risk for civilians and poses a threat to the safety and security of Mission staff. UNAMID has responded with concerted action to protect civilians and by demonstrating its resolve to implement its mandate. At the same time, improving security will require the parties to the conflict and the armed groups to refrain from violence and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue. The implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur lays the groundwork for addressing the many causes of the conflict in Darfur and promotes security. At the same time, 15 months after the Document was adopted, its implementation by the signatories has lagged considerably. Moreover, efforts to involve the other armed movements have not yet been successful. Progress in the Darfur Joint Assessment Mission is appreciated, but the position of the Government and the Liberation and Justice Movement with respect to receiving assistance from donors to implement their development framework would be strengthened — and the Doha Document made more attractive to the non-signatory movements — if the parties were to demonstrate their full commitment to promoting peace, security, recovery and development in Darfur. That must include lifting the restrictions imposed by the authorities on the operations of UNAMID and humanitarian and development agencies. I therefore urge the Government of the Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement to clearly demonstrate their commitment to the full and immediate implementation of the Doha Document, and to support the work of UNAMID and the agencies in Darfur.

I thank Mr. Mulet for his briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

At the outset, I should like to thank you, Sir, for giving me the floor to present some information on my country’s policy for resolving the conflict in Darfur, and on developments in the peace process. I wish to inform the Council that the Darfur peace process has come a long way. The most recent positive developments and good news came from Doha two days ago, when the Government, represented by the official in charge of the Darfur dossier, sat down with several leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and signed a memorandum of understanding on negotiations with the Government aimed at allowing JEM to endorse the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. This represents a historic development and a breakthrough in the Doha peace process because JEM has refused to sit down and negotiate in recent times. This indicates that the Movement is now convinced of the positive turn of events in Darfur. Another positive development indicating a shift from conflict resolution to rehabilitation and development is the donors conference to be hosted by the sisterly State of Qatar in December. I call on all States represented in the Council, invested as they are in maintaining peace and security in the Sudan, to participate in that conference and to support the peace process in Darfur, whose features have now come into sharper focus. At the same time, I acknowledge that certain incidents have taken place that affect the security situation in Darfur. These incidents have been provoked by elements of the so-called Sudan Revolutionary Front, which has declared its intention to resort to the force of arms not only to contain and resolve the situation in Darfur, but also to bring down the current system of governance in Khartoum. Mr. Mulet, who is sitting right beside me, described the incident in Hashaba, in Northern Darfur, and noted that it was instigated by some elements of the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi and JEM. Mr. Mulet also noted that these groups exploit certain disputes between various tribes over grazing land. We need the international community, embodied by the Security Council, to bring pressure to bear on those movements that do not wish to join the march towards peace in Darfur. With respect to Mr. Mulet’s suggestion that Government authorities prevented access by the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to Hashaba, we say that the main reason it did so was its concern for the safety of its personnel. We said this a short while ago, when incidents broke out in El Geneina and UNAMID forces did not heed the advice of the Sudanese authorities, with the result that some UNAMID elements were killed in a treacherous ambush set up by certain rebel movements. We fear a repeat of this scenario in the areas where military operations are being launched by some of these armed movements, as is the case in Hashaba. But even following what happened in El Geneina, the competent authorities employed their utmost efforts and arrested the criminals murdered UNAMID personnel. Mr. Mulet spoke of the kidnapping of certain police elements working in UNAMID, and here I say with complete confidence that those behind the kidnapping were the remnants of the armed movements, who have recently been kidnapping UNAMID workers. They have even attacked and killed UNAMID personnel, and have been attacking trade convoys in order to send a message to the international community that the security situation in Darfur is still precarious. Just as we have cooperated in the past in the case of kidnappings, and just as we have achieved success to a large degree and returned all those kidnapped, I inform the Council that we, the Government of the Sudan, will work on tracking down and catching the kidnappers and returning their victims safely to their homes. I do not want to speak for too long, but I should like to inform the Council of a dangerous development that took place in my country yesterday and is organically related to the root causes of the conflict in Darfur. We all know of the role that Israel plays in the Darfur conflict. The Council knows that Israel provides military support to the rebel movements that are active in Darfur, establishes offices for them in Tel Aviv, and provides air transport to the leaders of the rebel movement from the capital of South Sudan to other countries and cities. Israel’s interference in the Sudan’s affairs does not stop there. Yesterday, Israel carried out an air strike on a military plant in my country that produces conventional weapons. Four Israeli airplanes violated and invaded our airspace and carried out that heinous attack. We reject such aggression, and I expect the Council to condemn that attack because it was a blatant violation of the concept of peace and security and of the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, and it jeopardizes the peace and security of the entire region, not just the Sudan. We call upon the Council to stop foreign hands from meddling in the Darfur conflict and to help the Sudan arrive at a final solution that would maintain peace and security in the Sudan and the wider region in a manner that serves the interests of all of our citizens in Darfur.

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