S/PV.7010 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. Under rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedures, I invite Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in 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/2013/420, 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. Chambas. Mr. Chambas: I thank you, Madam, for the opportunity to introduce the report of the Secretary- General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (S/2013/420). It highlights progress in our common effort to achieve peace and stability in Darfur and the challenges we face on this path, and reviews possible opportunities. As detailed in the report and brought keenly to our attention by recent tragic events, the security situation in Darfur remains volatile. Since the beginning of the year, fighting between the Government of the Sudan and non-signatory movements, on the one hand, and, on the other, inter- and intra-ethnic clashes have led not only to loss of life, but also to a situation of protracted displacement, socioeconomic dislocation and loss of property for the civilian populations caught in the crossfire. Although, civilian populations do not appear to have been deliberately targeted, the main impact of these events on civilians is still displacement, injury and death. The steady upsurge in inter-ethnic violence throughout the Darfur states in the first half of 2013 is very worrying. Inter- and intra-ethnic fighting between the Beni Hussein and the Aballa/northern Rizeigat in Northern Darfur; the Salamat and the Misseriya and the Salamat and Ta’aisha in Central and Southern Darfur; the Birgid and the Zaghawa in Northern Darfur; and the Gimir and Beni Halba in Southern Darfur reflect growing tensions over access to and control of land, water and mineral resources. The increased militarization and proliferation of arms among civilian populations in Darfur, accompanied by a deterioration in the humanitarian conditions for host communities and internally displaced persons, has meant that inter-ethnic violence has actually brought about more death, injury and displacement than the fighting between the Government and non-signatories in 2013. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has continued to strongly encourage all parties to those inter-ethnic conflicts and relevant civil society actors to enter into dialogue with a view to addressing the root causes of the clashes and developing a common vision for their resolution. UNAMID has also, in conjunction with Government authorities, supported local mediation activities to bring community-based conflicts under control and create space for reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. Against that backdrop of increased violence and the resultant threats to the population, UNAMID continues to do its utmost to protect civilians. That includes logistic and technical support to local mediation, assistance to Government efforts aimed at ending the violence, medical evacuation of the injured, increased patrolling in the affected locations, advocacy with local authorities and non-signatory movements, and conducting reporting, monitoring and evaluations on issues pertaining to human rights abuses, sexual and gender-based violence and child protection. In the case of the clashes in and around El Sereif in Northern Darfur, UNAMID has established and is currently upgrading a temporary operating base for the protection of the population from armed attack and the facilitation of the safe delivery of emergency humanitarian aid by the United Nations country team. Whenever there is a concentration of newly displaced persons around our camps, as happened recently in Labado and Muhajeria, UNAMID provides initial humanitarian assistance, such as water and food, from our own resources, in addition to ensuring security for displaced persons. In the past four months, UNAMID military personnel have come under attack from unknown armed elements on four occasions. The most recent of those occurred on 13 July, when a routine patrol from the Khor Abeche team site in Southern Darfur came under attack between Khor Abeche and Menawashei. In the ensuing firefight, seven Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed and 17 other mission personnel injured. An internal investigation is ongoing. We in the UNAMID family are counting on the Government of the Sudan to investigate that war crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. I have met with senior Government officials to impress upon them the mission’s readiness to cooperate with any such process and, only this week, we have been informed by the special prosecutor for Darfur war crimes that his office has opened an investigation into the ambush of our personnel. The mission extends its deepest condolences to the families of our fallen and injured personnel and to the Government and the people of Tanzania. We naturally and deeply appreciate the expressions of condolence and similar sentiments made by the Security Council and individual Member States. Questions have been raised about troop strength and effectiveness in the light of recent attacks on UNAMID personnel, including the incident at Khor Abeche. It goes without saying that, in the current environment, the proper composition, strength and posture of the UNAMID military and police are essential to mandate implementation. I believe that UNAMID has the troop numbers to implement the mandate. What is required is better training and equipment and more flexibility within our current deployment. UNAMID headquarters is working with our military and police contingents to develop a quarterly threat assessment process and the flexibility to redeploy personnel within the mission area of responsibility in order to address new and emerging areas of concern. In that regard, I welcome the news that troop deployments will now be extended from six months to one year in duration, allowing the mission to benefit from personnel more familiar with conditions on the ground. The mission, in coordination with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, is working with our troop and police contributors to address and improve predeployment training issues and contingent-owned equipment issues. Acquiring a tactical helicopter for hot-pursuit purposes would provide an additional deterrent to ambushes. As we enter the tenth year of the conflict in Darfur, it is evident that the only solution to the conflict will be a political one. That is a statement worth countless repetition. The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur represents the most viable path to sustainable peace and development for the people of Darfur. The signatory parties to the Doha Document have continued to work towards the implementation of the agreement, even if at an unacceptably slow pace. The establishment of various bodies under the Darfur Regional Authority was completed in January, with the Authority Council being the last key institution of governance to come into being. The Government of the Sudan has released to the Authority the first tranche of funds, in the amount of $170 million, for reconstruction and development. The Darfur Joint Assessment Mission, completed in October 2012, evaluated the needs for economic recovery and development and generated the Darfur Development Strategy as a framework to achieve those ends. At the Doha International Donor Conference held in April, international support for the peace process and the Doha Document in particular was confirmed, while concerns were expressed over the slow pace of the Document’s implementation, access restrictions and the insecurity that continues to constitute a major threat to those endeavours. We have to confirm that the rate of implementation has been quite slow, particularly in the area of ceasefire and final security arrangements. Honouring the pledges made at the Donor Conference in a timely manner would help to change the dynamic on the ground, as projects under the Development Strategy are aimed at improving the living conditions of conflict- affected populations and creating an environment more conducive to peace. UNAMID continues to provide technical and logistic support for the implementation of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, including in close collaboration with the United Nations country team. We work especially closely with the United Nations Development Programme and also with the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other partners. In October 2012, a faction of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Mohamed Bashar joined the peace process, agreed to cease hostilities and successfully negotiated its entry into the Doha Document. To our great regret, Mohamed Bashar and several other leaders of that group, who were on their way from Doha to Khartoum to start the implementation of the peace agreement, were killed by elements of JEM-Gibril in Bamina, Chad. That was considered to be an attack against the peace process with the potential to cause serious damage to its progress. Nevertheless, the new leadership of JEM-Bashar has pledged to stay the course of the Doha peace process. The Implementation Follow-up Commission provided for in the Document has again requested the non-signatories to abandon armed struggle and embrace dialogue with the Government towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict on the basis of the Doha Document. The tragic killing of Mohamed Bashar prompted us to re-evaluate the current direction of mediation efforts. Today, the peace process remains incomplete without the inclusion of major armed movements such as the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi, the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid and JEM-Gibril. In my engagements with regional leaders, specifically with Presidents Museveni of Uganda, Kikwete of Tanzania and Deby Itno of Chad, aimed at persuading the non-signatories to renounce violence and come to the negotiating table with the Government of the Sudan without preconditions, those three Heads of State all have agreed that the time is right for inclusive and comprehensive peace talks. Such talks between the main non-signatory movements and the mediation would serve as a forum where they can voice their concerns and continue to build trust with the mediation. Hopefully, that would lead to formal talks with the Government of the Sudan. Let me reiterate that this year marks 10 years since the outbreak of the Darfur conflict. While considerable progress has been made throughout the years to bring down the initially great casualty numbers and to craft a peace process, much more remains to be done. The parties to the conflict that have courageously embraced the path of peaceful settlement must be encouraged, supported and protected. The stated intention of the Government of the Sudan to engage in an all-inclusive political dialogue with all non-signatory groups without exception is commendable, and it needs to be encouraged to propose a concrete framework to deliver on that undertaking. Those that are still holding out should be persuaded to agree to start peace talks with the Government of the Sudan without conditions. For that to happen, the continued support and engagement of the Council is absolutely necessary. This conflict cannot and will not be won by force of arms, but can be resolved only through an all-inclusive political dialogue that seeks to address the legitimate grievances of the people of Darfur and to create the conditions for good governance, the rule of law, social and economic recovery, and development. In conclusion, I would like to express my appreciation to the Security Council for its continued support.

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

Madam President, at the outset I should like to extend to you our congratulations on your presidency of the Security Council for this month. By the same token, I should like to extend my thanks to Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), for his briefing, in which he detailed the most recent report of the Secretary- General on Darfur (S/2013/420), in the framework of the Council’s discussions of the renewal of UNAMID. We hope that the resolution will be balanced and objective and will forge ahead towards peace, stability and the finalization of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The report presented to the Council emphasized that progress has been made in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, although it has been delayed. Yet the truth remains that the implementation of the Document is moving forward steadily. As is well known, while the funding requirements for the DDS, which were based on the needs assessment conducted by the Joint Assessment Mission, amounted to $7.2 billion, donors at the Doha Conference pledged a total of $3.6 billion. That is reflected in the implementation of the DDS, in accordance with the provisions of the Doha Document. We therefore appreciate the Secretary-General’s appeal to donors contained in paragraph 73 of the report. The report before the Council notes that regarding the protection of civilians, a number of tribal clashes took place in north-east and central Darfur that led to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons compared with the past two years. In that connection, we would like to emphasize the key fact that all tribal clashes revolve around national resources, water, minerals and pastureland. As we have indicated in our previous statements, that is one of the fundamental raisons d’être of the conflict in Darfur, which makes clear the region’s need for development projects and their implementation. In that connection, we would like to acknowledge the appreciable efforts deployed by the central Government, in coordination with the Darfur Regional Authority, to convene a conference on peaceful coexistence among the tribes as well to settle differences with no tribal discrimination. That is in addition to the considerable efforts made by local governments in Darfur. The report before the Council refers in paragraph 24 to the strenuous efforts made by Southern Darfur to settle the conflict between the Gimir and Beni Halba tribes. The Government of the Sudan condemns very strongly the attacks against UNAMID, the most recent of which was the barbaric attack that led to the assassination of seven peacekeepers from Tanzania. We reiterate our condolences to the sisterly Government of Tanzania as well as to the bereaved families. We emphasize the need to pursue the criminals and bring them to justice. Two hours ago I was speaking with the Special Prosecutor for Darfur Crimes, who told me that he is in contact with UNAMID authorities with a view to securing the arrest of those who carried out that barbaric attack. We emphasize the need for UNAMID to cooperate and coordinate with the local authorities in Darfur, with a view to guaranteeing the safety and movement of the mission’s personnel. I should like, before the Council today, to emphasize the importance we place on coordination. That does not mean that we want to change the mandate of the mission. The intention is not to restrict the movement of the mission; on the contrary, we are more interested in safeguarding the safety and security of the mission’s personnel. By the same token, we emphasize the need for the mission to be able to defend itself effectively, so that it will not be easily targeted by those rebel groups that wish to impede the peace process and send negative messages to the effect that there is instability in the region. We acknowledge the commendable efforts made by Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas in the political arena, as well as his endeavours to persuade those movements that have rejected peace to join the peace process. However, the international community’s support for those efforts, through the clear messages conveyed to the movement leaders, has also been significant. We should also emphasize the importance of the role played by States of the region in achieving success in the peace process by ensuring that they give no support or shelter to any groups that reject peace. Last week, a leader of one of those groups, Mr. Abdul Wahid Mohamed Al-Nur, was bold enough to criticize the decisions on Darfur of the African Union Peace and Security Council, implying that he refuses to cooperate in seeing the peace process through to completion. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize my Government’s firm resolve and willingness to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Darfur conflict and a future of stability and peace, through the efforts of the African Union and the Joint Special Representative, working with the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.

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