S/PV.7810 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of South Sudan and the Sudan to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2016/960, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/864, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Angola, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2318 (2016). I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

I should like, at the outset, to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Sir, on presiding over the Security Council this month. I wish your friendly country and you personally every success. I should also like to extend to your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, our congratulations on his wise leadership of the Council last month. I thank the Secretary-General for the report before the Council in document S/2016/864. As we extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for a further six months, I am pleased to note the positive roles played by the Force since it was established, in addition to the efforts deployed by the community and the Government, which have started to bear fruit as reflected in the onset of a stable security situation in Abyei and the remarkable progress made in asserting the notion of peaceful coexistence between the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities, as indicated in the Secretary-General’s report. I would like to reaffirm to the Security Council that the Government of the Republic of the Sudan will cooperate fully and comprehensively with UNISFA so that it can implement its mandate. That has been the consistent approach of the Sudanese Government towards UNISFA since its establishment, and will contribute to achieving security and stability in Abyei. It is also of the utmost importance that UNISFA be committed to the limits of its mandate, as identified in resolution 1990 (2011), which established the Force and provides an environment conducive to achieving the desired outcome. The Government of the Sudan reaffirms its commitment to all the agreements signed with South Sudan, starting with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that led to the founding of the Republic of South Sudan in 2011; the 2005 Abyei Protocol and the Agreement between the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement on temporary arrangements for the administration and security of the Abyei Area, of 20 June 2011; and the Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan of 27 September 2012. I call on my brothers and sisters in the Government of South Sudan to engage in a positive manner with the Sudanese Government and the African Union in order to quickly establish insitutions in Abyei, as stipulated by the Agreement of 20 June 2011, with a view to determining the final status of Abyei, which remains the exclusive right of the Presidents of the Sudan and South Sudan in accordance with the signed agreements. We would like to stress that the Abyei region is Sudanese territory, and the Republic of the Sudan has full sovereignty over it in accordance with the provisions of international law, the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague and the 2005 Abyei Protocol to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. That status can be amended only through the Abyei referendum agreed on by the Governments of the two countries or through any other measure agreed to bilaterally by the two parties. My delegation would like to reaffirm that the path to sustainable peace and stability in the Abyei region and along the borders between the two countries is based on two main pillars, namely, the implementation of the interim administrative and security arrangements for Abyei and the implementation of all agreements under the Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. The first agreement includes provisions on the establishment of the Abyei joint administration, its joint legislative council and its joint police. Those institutions are indispensable to managing the Area and providing the necessary services to its citizens, as well as establishing the appropriate conditions for resolving the issue of the final status of Abyei in a way that meets the expectations of all stakeholders, with a win-win formula that satisfies everyone. The Cooperation Agreement laid a solid foundation for normalizing relations between the Sudan and South Sudan, enhancing cooperation in all areas between the two and achieving sustained peace. It covered the areas of oil resources, trade, borders, security arrangements, the status of citizens and other themes. However, our brothers in South Sudan have so far been enthusiastic only about the implementation of the oil agreement. They have overlooked the implementation of other agreements, particularly the Agreement on Security Arrangements between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan, which includes provisions on ending the support for, and the harbouring of, rebel movements, the establishment of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone and the establishment of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). In that regard, my delegation hopes that the Government of the Republic of Sudan will honour its obligations to implement all of the provisions of the Agreement on Security Arrangements so as to encourage cooperation between our countries. That would create an enabling environment for deciding on the final status of Abyei. In that connection, we commend the recent calls on our brothers in South Sudan by international partners for South Sudan to practically, fully and clearly end its support for the armed groups that are active in South Sudan, which they use as a springboard for sabotage operations in the Sudan. We also commend the recent announcements to that effect by the Government of South Sudan and we hope that those words will be followed by actions. On the deployment of the oil police in the Diffra oil complex, my delegation reaffirms the need for such a step, as the joint Abyei police has not yet been established. Another reason is that there are Sudanese rebel movement groups in South Sudan that can target those vital installations. That force is limited both in number and equipment. My delegation agrees with the statement in the Secretary-General’s report concerning the importance of the resumption of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC). We call for the holding of regular AJOC meetings. In that regard, we also call upon the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sudan and South Sudan, the African Union (AU) High-level Implementation Panel and other partners to redouble their efforts to encourage the Government of South Sudan to hold such meetings and to enable the JBVMM to work smoothly to remove all obstacles in its path. The Secretary-General’s report refers to the fact that many citizens of South Sudan have gone to my country through territories of South Sudan, in particular to the states of East Darfur, South Darfur and West Kordofan. That serves to underscore the special relationship between the peoples of the Sudan and South Sudan — a unique and valued relationship that we will continue to foster. We will also continue to work towards stability in the states of Darfur. That all goes to show that my country has been right in its calls for beginning the implementation of a phased and smooth exit strategy for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. In conclusion, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all of our partners who make efforts to facilitate the work of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, in particular the Government of Ethiopia, the African Union Peace and Security Council, the AU Commission, the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on the Sudan and South Sudan and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan. We also commend the commitment of the Secretary-General and the positive elements in his report. We call for concerted efforts to continue along the positive path that will enable us to tackle the pending issues and make sure that the process is in no way hindered.

I now give the floor to the representative of South Sudan.

Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November. I would like to assure you of our full cooperation for the success of your presidency. I would also like to acknowledge the positive role played by your predecessor in leading the Council last month. The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is the best thing to happen to Abyei in its long history of struggle, neglect and suffering from insecurity. Although a great deal remains to be done, notable progress has been made towards promoting peace and security in Abyei, fostering reconciliation and cooperation among the communities that converge seasonally in the Area, delivering social services and humanitarian assistance and initiating socioeconomic development programmes. That would not have been possible without the creative and determined efforts of UNISFA. Cooperation between the two countries is crucial to any constructive and productive efforts in Abyei. Indeed, even the progress made by UNISFA could not have been possible without a degree of functional cooperation by the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan. However, much more cooperation is needed if the efforts of UNISFA are to continue to bear tangible fruits that will benefit the two communities and help to facilitate continued improvement in the relations between the two countries. We are encouraged by the recent improvement in relations between the two countries. The Government of South Sudan sincerely hopes that this will develop into an even greater cooperation in the wide range of areas of mutual concern and interest. In that connection, it is our firm belief that the Abyei Area can contribute significantly to the development of cordial ties between the two countries. That can be done by building on grass-roots intercommunal cooperation, which can extend to the national level in the two countries. As things stand now, it is obvious that the search for a final solution to the Abyei problem has stalled due to the differences between the two Governments, despite the tireless efforts of the African Union High- level Implementation Panel, under the leadership of the former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and the support of the African Union and the United Nations. The people of Abyei and the neighbouring communities, from both the north and the south, who migrate into the Area seasonally in search of water and pastures cannot be abandoned to suffer neglect in a vacuum of State responsibility for their security and general welfare. The international community is called upon to step in and fill the vacuum, not only in the immediate interests of the communities concerned but also in the long-term interests of the two countries. That is urgently needed to stabilize the situation in the Area and to create an environment conducive to a more constructive and fruitful dialogue on the future of Abyei. The report (S/2016/864) of the Secretary-General indicates that significant progress has been made in a number of critical areas, although the security situation in Abyei remains precarious. UNISFA has continued to conduct operations in promoting peace and stability. While the establishment of the Abyei Police Service continues to be elusive, the UNISFA police component continues to support the maintenance of law and order through community-based interactive patrols. In that connection, the UNISFA police component has been cooperating with leaders from both communities to promote safer neighbourhoods and to protect civilians. UNISFA has also continued to encourage and support both communities to promote dialogue and reconciliation. In partnership with community leaders on both sides, UNISFA has provided security and encouraged joint peace committees to establish and manage the common market for their communities. Indeed, as the Secretary-General notes, Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya leaders have made encouraging progress in addressing issues affecting their people, including promoting reconciliation between their communities. The progress made in various areas was presented to the South Sudanese members of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) when they visited the Area in March 2015. The areas covered by the briefing included the security and political situation, the resettlement patterns in northern Abyei, the status of returnees, the development of the common market, quick-impact development projects and other development activities being carried out by United Nations agencies, funds and programmes. During the same week, the Acting Head of Mission/Force Commander met in Khartoum with the Sudanese members of the AJOC and briefed them on developments in the Area. He was assured of the support of the Sudanese Government for the work being done, especially in promoting the peace process at the local level. Other areas in which progress has been made include agricultural production; integrated health care, including nutrition, hygiene and sanitation services; educational services, including rehabilitation of the schools and the provision of school materials; protecting women and children against sexual violence and related abuses; and mine-clearance services. Those achievements have helped to reverse migration out of the Area, encouraged resettlement and reintegration, minimized disruptive activities that threaten peace and supported the sustainability of local peace initiatives in the Area. Despite the progress made by UNISFA in various areas, much more needs to be done to promote and consolidate peace, security, stability and the prospects for socioeconomic development in the Area. That must first and foremost be the responsibility of the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan. Despite its very limited resources and the severe challenges posed by the current crises in the country, the Government of South Sudan continues to do what it can to assist the people of Abyei. The Government of the Sudan is called upon to respond more positively to the needs of the Area, which is both within its power and in its interests. It is noteworthy that, as the report of the Secretary- General observes, the restrictions imposed by the Government of the Sudan on non-governmental organizations have limited the implementation capacity of humanitarian and development actors, especially in the northern parts of Abyei. As the Secretary-General also notes, in addition to a lack of adequate funds, other challenges include high implementation costs owing to security and logistical constraints, delays in the issuance of travel permits and restrictions on the movement of personnel and supplies by the Government of the Sudan. In conclusion, an issue that has continued to be a source of deep grievance and anger among the Ngok Dinka is the unresolved responsibility for the killing of their Oaramount Chief, who was assassinated, together with a UNISFA peacekeeper, by a member of the Misseriya in May 2013. Although an investigation committee was established to conduct an investigation into the killing, its report has never been made public. It is therefore crucial to the process of healing and reconciliation between the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya that the findings and recommendations of the investigation committee be made public in order to enable the communities to find closure on the matter and conduct the customary process of reconciliation.