S/PV.8202 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. Jeremiah Kingsley Mamabolo, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, to participate in this meeting. Mr. Mamabolo is joining today’s meeting via video-teleconference from El Fasher. 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/2018/154, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear briefings by Mr. Mamabolo and Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, Permanent Representative of Poland, in her capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. Recalling the Security Council’s latest note 507 on its working methods (S/2017/507), I wish to encourage all participants, both members and non-members of the Council, to deliver their statements in five minutes or less. Note 507 also encourages briefers to be succinct and to focus on key issues. Briefers are further encouraged to limit initial remarks to 15 minutes or less. I now give the floor to Mr. Mamabolo. Mr. Mamabolo: I am honoured to once again have an opportunity to update the Security Council on the situation in Darfur and on issues concerning the implementation of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). It is particularly important that we review the progress made so far following the first phase of the reconfiguration, in particular in the light of the forthcoming strategic review of the mission in April. The report of the Secretary General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (S/2018/154) covers the period from 16 December 2017 to 15 February 2018, during which UNAMID started phase two of its reconfiguration. Under the second phase, the Jebel Marra Task Force is being operationalized. To that end, since January, the Mission has embarked on the redeployment of military and police personnel, as well as civilian staff, in order to strengthen the operations of the Jebel Marra Task Force. In addition, the construction of the temporary operating base in Golo is under way. However, we continue to face challenges in accessing Golo through Kabkabiyah. One of our engineering contingents is providing assistance in improving the condition of the road. The mission force is currently organized in two sectors, namely, the Jebel Marra Task Force, with its headquarters in Zalingei, and the State Security Assistance Force, which covers areas outside the area of operation of the Task Force. Furthermore, the reconfiguration in phase two also entails a further reduction in the number of military personnel to 8,735 and of police personnel to 2,500. We have also reduced the number of civilian by 422, and are expected to reduce it by approximately 158 more. The deployment of formed police units to team sites from which the military has withdrawn or rotated started at the beginning of this month. We expect that the formed police units will be fully operational at the Saraf Omra, Korma, El Sherif and Masteri team sites by 30 March. It is too early to make a realistic assessment of the impact on the overall security and protection-of- civilians situation in areas from which UNAMID withdrew under phase one of the mission’s reconfiguration plan. Although there are some administrative restrictions regarding access imposed by the Government, nevertheless the mission continues to engage with the Government to overcome those challenges and to do everything within its mandate to access and monitor the situation in those areas. We are in the process of finalizing an assessment of the impact caused by the closure of the various team sites to enable us to determine the potential and actual impact of our disengagement in those areas. Intra- and inter-communal clashes persist in some areas of Darfur, albeit at a relatively reduced scale. We have also experienced instability in some traditionally restive camps for internally displaced persons (IDP), such as Korma, Hassa Hissa and Hamadiya. Those clashes are mainly fuelled by traditional and long- standing unresolved socioeconomic and political issues that have been the root causes of Darfur’s conflict landscape over the years. UNAMID has been intervening in a constructive way within the framework of the mission’s protection-of-civilians strategy. The stalemate in the Darfur peace process persists, despite our numerous efforts in support of President Mbeki in our collective efforts to persuade the parties to the conflict to sign cessation-of-hostilities agreements and commence direct negotiations. The framework for the negotiations continues to be the main issue of contention. I maintain contact with the Darfur armed movements, with the most recent meeting taking place on 1 March in Addis Ababa. We continue to urge them to accede to negotiations on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. I therefore call upon Council members’ respective countries to use their bilateral channels to exhort the parties to the Darfur conflict to sign cessation-of-hostilities agreements and resume negotiations, including to use leverage with Abdul Wahid to prevail upon him to acknowledge the futility of war and to join the peace process. That would be the only way whereby the people of Darfur, and indeed the international community, could have any realistic hope of achieving durable peace in Darfur. The situation in Darfur now is not the same as it was in 2003. Except for the sporadic clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid in the Jebel Marra area, there is general absence of war in Darfur. I believe that the adjustment of UNAMID’s mandate and posture over the years, from resolution 1769 (2007) to 2363 (2017), was a clear recognition of that evolving reality. The fundamental question is: What do we do with those conditions of relative peace and stability in Darfur? Over the past several months I have visited various parts of Darfur to get first-hand information on what the people of Darfur say and want. In a nutshell, they say there is relative peace and stability; they commend UNAMID for contributing to that state of affairs; and they acknowledge the positive impact of the civilian weapons-collection exercise initiated by the Government. Nevertheless, there have been some complaints from some members of the IDP communities relating to the perceived lack of fairness of the civilian weapons-collection exercise. That notwithstanding, IDPs do want to return to their areas of origin, but under conducive conditions. Most important, they want resources for post-conflict reconstruction and development. Pursuant to resolution 2363 (2017), in collaboration with the United Nations country team, the mission continues to give priority to activities geared towards supporting the stabilization of the situation through economic, social and political initiatives and assistance designed to consolidate the prevailing relative peace and stability. Consultations with stakeholders are being undertaken on the conceptual framework and policy for implementing the stabilization mandate in Darfur. Despite the relative stability, concerns persist nonetheless that, owing to insecurity and land occupation issues, many IDPs are not able to return to their areas of origin. In that context, we have been engaging with stakeholders, including the Government of the Sudan, in search of durable solutions to the problems of IDPs. Without question, a significant amount of resources is required for post-conflict reconstruction and the development of Darfur. I therefore appeal to all Council members to play their part, either through bilateral commitments of resources by their respective countries or through much-needed advocacy for early recovery and development in Darfur. As the mission engages in the stabilization phase, we are duty-bound to do it in a manner that consolidates, not compromises, the gains that our presence has achieved over the years. Such actions should include the injection of resources by the international community in order to assist with socioeconomic development and the establishment, as well as consolidation, of State authority throughout Darfur. In the same vein, I would urge the Council to ensure that adequate resources are mobilized and that they are commensurate with the pace of UNAMID’s drawdown of its personnel to drive continued stability. In conclusion, on behalf of UNAMID, let me express our gratitude to the Council for its important support. Especially as we embark on this critical stage of UNAMID’s engagement in Darfur, we will need more, not less, of the Council’s generous support.

I thank Mr. Mamabolo for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ambassador Wronecka.

In accordance with paragraph 3 (a) of resolution 1591 (2005), I have the honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the Sudan Sanctions Committee, covering the period from 8 December 2017 to 14 March 2018. I am pleased to deliver this first briefing as Chair of the Committee back to back with Mr. Mamabolo’s briefing on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), which will help increase synergies between the Committee and UNAMID. On 28 December 2017, under the stewardship of my predecessor, Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko of Ukraine, the Committee met to hear a presentation by the Panel of Experts on its final report (see S/2017/1125) and to discuss the Panel’s recommendations. I will not repeat the findings of the final report, given that it was transmitted to the members of the Council immediately after the Committee’s meeting. On the following day, the Committee issued a press release with a summary of the meeting. Let me now turn to the three recommendations addressed to the Committee in the final report of the Panel of Experts. In recommendation (a), the Panel of Experts proposed that the Committee continue to monitor the presence and activities of Darfuri rebels in Libya and South Sudan. As a follow-up to the recommendation, the Committee agreed to encourage the Panel of Experts to continue to cooperate with other relevant sanctions committees and their panels of experts. The Committee also agreed to consider organizing joint meetings with other committees as necessary. With regard to recommendation (b), the Panel of Experts informed the Committee on 30 January that the proposed amendments to the sanctions list contained in the final report had inadvertently omitted identifier information and subsequently provided the Committee with revised proposed amendments. Such amendments to the list and the names of three individuals are currently under consideration by the Committee. With regard to recommendation (c), on 30 January the Committee sent a letter to the Permanent Representative of the Sudan, encouraging the Government of the Sudan to instruct its border control agency to monitor the cross-border movement of the individuals listed. On 2 February the Committee held its fifth meeting with the Sudan and States of the region to discuss the implementation of the measures. The Sudan and eight States of the region — the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda  — participated in the meeting. It focused on the final report of the Panel of Experts. Following a briefing by the Panel on its final report, the Sudan and States of the region shared their views on the findings of the Panel. The States invited also stressed their commitment to the implementation of the Council’s resolutions. The Committee and the States invited agreed to build on the spirit of cooperation through constructive dialogue. A summary of the meeting was made available in a press release issued on 8 February. During the Committee meeting on 2 February, I informed it of my intention to conduct a visit to the Sudan in April. I had discussed it informally with the Permanent Representative of the Sudan and received a positive response. That will be the third Chair’s visit to the Sudan, following the first one in January 2014 and the second in May 2017. The draft terms of reference of the visit were approved by the Committee on 12 March. It will now await the consent of the Government of the Sudan. On 22 February, the Committee received a letter from the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, proposing five individuals to serve on the newly extended Panel of Experts pursuant to resolution 2400 (2018), of 8 February 2018. The Committee had no objections to four of the candidates proposed, but the fifth candidate was placed on hold by three members of the Committee. On the same day, the Committee received from the Panel of Experts a draft implementation assistance notice on the requirements for end-user documentation under resolution 1945 (2010). The notice was prepared as a follow-up to recommendation (a) of the first report of the Panel of Experts. The proposed notice is now under consideration by the Committee. The Committee received two quarterly updates from the Panel of Experts during the reporting period, on 6 February and 12 March, and an implementation report from a Member State. The Committee issued its annual report for 2017 as document S/2017/1081, which is available on the Committee’s website.

I thank Ms. Wronecka for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements.

We would like to thank you, Sir, for convening today’s meeting. We also thank Ambassador Jeremiah Kingsley Mamabolo, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan, for their briefings. We take note of the report of the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (S/2018/154) and the report of the Panel of Experts on the Sudan established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) (see S/2017/1081). We believe the relative calm and stability in Darfur are encouraging. Nonetheless, we remain concerned about the humanitarian situation, which has led to more than 2.7 million displaced persons, and about the human rights situation, which primarily affects women and children. We welcome Pramila Patten’s first visit to the Sudan as Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. We also commend the progress made in the implementation of the action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, signed in March 2016 by the Government of the Sudan, as well as the visit by Ms. Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The Government of the Sudan should continue its efforts to protect its people from such dreadful crimes, allow victims access to justice and punish those responsible. With regard to security, given the relative stability, we would like to welcome the decrease in the number of intercommunal clashes and the various reconciliation initiatives, as well as the establishment of a joint mechanism to regulate agriculture and prevent the theft of livestock. We also welcome the signing of the memorandum of understanding between UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan for the opening of a temporary base in Golo, the subsequent transfer of land, the visit of the Vice-President of the Sudan to Darfur and his commitment to carrying out development projects in the area. The Government of the Sudan and all Member States must collaborate more effectively with the Sanctions Committee through, among other things, ensuring adequate border control, preventing the supply of weapons and the funding of rebel groups, as well as submitting timely requests for exemptions. Nonetheless, such measures must be complemented by other steps to address the root causes of the conflict if we truly desire lasting peace in Darfur. The vulnerabilities, weak institutions and poverty in Darfur must be addressed so as to prevent another outbreak of conflict. We believe that it is essential to implement the provisions governing land tenure, ensure food security and create decent employment opportunities for the population. We must resume the political process and encourage more women and young people to participate in it. It is vital to make headway in implementing the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and broker an agreement on a permanent ceasefire. In conclusion, we would like to underscore the efforts of UNAMID and the African Union High-level Implementation Panel in achieving those goals.

I would like to begin my statement by paying well-deserved tribute to and thanking Mr. Jeremiah Kingsley Mamabolo, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), for his excellent briefing on the bimonthly report the Secretary-General on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (S/2018/154) and his tremendous efforts at the helm of this important mission. We also congratulate and thank Ambassador Joanna Wronecka of Poland for her substantive and insightful briefing as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. Based on the briefings we have just heard, there has been a marked improvement in the overall security situation in Darfur with very few, if any, clashes reported between the Government and armed groups in Darfur during the dry season, which is encouraging and highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report. The Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea commends the Sudanese Government for creating an environment and conditions conducive to ensuring lasting improvement in Darfur, and urges it to continue working towards that end. We fully support it in its search for a definitive solution that will bring irreversible peace to Darfur. In order to achieve that objective, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea believes that in the current phase, both the United Nations and the international community must enhance their support for the Sudanese Government and UNAMID so that they may in turn address the root causes of the crisis which, at times, can spark isolated clashes that could potentially escalate. That is the case of intercommunal attacks, which require mediation and reconciliation efforts to prevent and put an end to such conflicts. Additionally, there is an urgent need to support the Sudanese Government in its weapons-collection programme. The full implementation of that programme is critical not only to maintaining the current peace in Darfur, but also to restoring definitive peace to the region, especially since that critical programme is being carried out in the Jebel Marra zone, controlled by the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid. While the Republic of Equatorial Guinea commends the Sudanese Government for these actions, it also urges the Government to closely monitor the activities of the Rapid Support Force during the weapons-collection operation. It must urge the Forces to abstain from interfering with internally displaced persons, especially in Central Darfur, so as to prevent a resurgence of tension in the zone. Parallel to the security situation in Darfur which, according to the report presented today by Mr. Mamabolo, has been constantly improving, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea would like to see similar improvements at the political level, accompanied by significant progress in the political process and the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur to secure a total ceasefire. In that regard, greater support must be provided to the political process led by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel. In order to facilitate all of those aspects, we must eliminate all obstacles. That is why we once again thank Ambassador Wronecka, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, for the work of the Committee in monitoring the activities of rebel groups in Darfur, Libya and South Sudan with a view to updating and imposing new sanctions to serve as a deterrent to activities that derail peace efforts. In conclusion, we once again applaud the Sudanese Government and UNAMID for their peace efforts in Darfur and urge them to redouble their efforts for the sake of the Sudanese population in general and the people of Darfur in particular, and to appeal to the international community to lend all necessary support to the establishment of peace and peacebuilding in order to ensure the rebuilding of Darfur and the launching of a plan for its development.

We thank the Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo, for his comprehensive introduction of the Secretary-General’s bimonthly report Organization (S/2018/154). Through him, we also commend the work that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is conducting on the ground. Finally, we thank Ambassador Joanna Wronecka for her 90-day report on the activities of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan. As this is the first time she has spoken in the Chamber in her capacity as Chair, we wish her every success in her duties, and we express our support for this session of the Committee’s work. At the outset, we stress the positive aspects highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report, mainly in the field of security, which has remained stable, as in past reporting periods. The fact that no major confrontations have occurred between the Sudanese Government and the rebel groups of Darfur is essential to maintaining stability and focusing the efforts of the Government and UNAMID on consolidating peace and advancing the political process in order to address the root causes of the conflict, including land ownership, and driving development in Darfur. We also note the progress made in the Government- led weapons-collection campaign. We believe that this process helps to improve the security situation in Darfur. Its success is critical to bolstering security in communities and to stable and sustainable peacebuilding. To that end, we must avoid division and promote the commitment of the civilian population and the militias. This Government campaign, which is in line with UNAMID’s peacebuilding process, requires the decisive support of the international community In that regard, we welcome the timely visit of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to Darfur, Ms. Virginia Gamba. We join her in recognizing the encouraging efforts of the Government of the Sudan in the implementation of the action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. We are aware that there is still a lot of work to be done, but there has been significant progress. Regarding the humanitarian situation, we regret that clashes between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid have produced new displacements in Jebel Marra. However, we note improved access of humanitarian assistance to this area, which was previously inaccessible. Nevertheless, it is evident that the situation of internally displaced persons in general is worrisome and, despite the intense efforts of the Government, UNAMID and humanitarian workers, it still presents several challenges. It is urgent that the international community support the development of projects that enable internally displaced persons to access basic services and to improve their quality of life. We note that no new cases of obstruction of humanitarian assistance have been reported, which reflects the good relationship between and joint work of the Government and the various United Nations agencies. We hope to continue improving the operational environment of UNAMID. We also express our appreciation for the work carried out by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Programme and other humanitarian agencies. On the other hand, although human rights violations and other types of crimes have decreased compared to the previous period, we must redouble efforts to put an end to illegal detention and violence against women and girls, particularly sexual gender-based violence, and must bring those responsible to justice. Bolivia believes that the political situation remains one of the main challenges facing the Sudan. We welcome Government efforts to promote the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. We stress that the only possible solution to the situation in that area is a political process that can address the root issues of the conflict and its attendant consequences. We must enhance efforts to resolve differences over the Doha Document and we call on the non-signatory movements to engage constructively in dialogue with the Government with a view to achieving a definitive cessation of hostilities. In that connection, we welcome the efforts of the Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo, UNAMID and the members of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel responsible for the implementation of the recommendations for the Sudan and South Sudan. We also commend the progress made in the reconfiguration process of UNAMID, the successful completion of the phase one and the launch of phase two. We must make sure to strengthen the capabilities of the United Nations country team in order to ensure a successful withdrawal from the Hybrid Operation. In conclusion, we look forward to the next visit of the Chairman of the 1591 Committee. We would do well to review the measures imposed by the Council on that country to ensure that they are suited to the current situation on the ground.

We join others in expressing our deep appreciation to Joint Special Representative Mamabolo for his comprehensive briefing on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and to Ambassador Wronecka for her first 90-day report on the work of Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan. My delegation endorses the outcome of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2018/154) and would like to offer the following observations. Kazakhstan is encouraged by the continuing improvement in the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, as well as the strengthened cooperation between the Sudanese Government, the United Nations and the African Union. We hope that the arms- collection campaign, which positively contributed to an improved security situation and an overall reduction in criminal activities, will be inclusive and conducted in respect of citizens’ rights. We welcome the extensions of the unilateral ceasefire by parties to the conflict and hope that they will undertake the necessary measures to invigorate an inclusive political process led by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel. We hope that the recent meeting between President Al-Bashir and the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army-Second Revolution, Abu Al-Qasim, will facilitate the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and further contribute to ensuring the voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. Kazakhstan is pleased to note the timely conclusion of phase one of the reconfiguration of UNAMID. We expect that its second phase will also be successfully implemented in accordance with the established timeline. In view of the significantly improved security situation, we now need to prioritize UNAMID’s peacebuilding mandate, including support for capacity-building and quick-impact and community stabilization measures. Such efforts should focus on the implementation of the UNAMID Integrated Strategic Framework for Darfur and the United Nations country team for the period 2017-2019, which has identified priorities related to bringing about sustainable peace in Darfur. We express our support for the upcoming visit by Ambassador Wronecka, Chair of the 1591 Committee, to Khartoum. We hope that the visit will further contribute to the strengthening of constructive cooperation between the United Nations and the Sudanese Government. In conclusion, we call on the international community to provide the needed support to the Government of the Sudan to address the root causes of the conflict, including through providing basic services in remote areas, finding durable solutions for IDPs and making the arms-collection campaign a success.

My delegation thanks Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo, Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for his excellent briefing on the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate. It also thanks Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, in her capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, for her briefing on the work of the Committee. My statement will centre on the following issues: developments in the security, political and humanitarian situation in Darfur and the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate. Concerning the security situation, Côte d’Ivoire commends the progress made in terms of security and notes with satisfaction the commitment of the Sudanese Government to working towards establishing a stable and secure environment for the people of Darfur. Côte d’Ivoire welcomes the fact that the weapons-collection campaign initiated by the Government has contributed to a decrease in crime and intercommunal conflicts. My country therefore urges the Government to pursue that initiative by encouraging inclusiveness and respect for human rights and prior commitments aimed at ensuring stability in the Kalma internally displaced persons camp. The Ivorian delegation welcomes the extension of the ceasefire effected and agreed upon by the Sudanese Government and rebel groups, and calls on the latter to show a greater willingness to reach a permanent ceasefire through dialogue. Concerning the political context, Côte d’Ivoire is concerned about the stalemate in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. My country encourages stakeholders to fully implement the terms of the agreement with a view to finding a lasting solution to the root causes of the conflict in the interest of the Sudanese people. While we welcome the initiatives taken by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel for the Sudan and South Sudan in resuming the national dialogue and implementing the Doha agreement, Côte d’Ivoire calls on non-signatory armed groups to prioritize the interests of the people of Darfur and join the agreement. Similarly, owing to the importance of land management in the Sudanese conflict, Côte d’Ivoire encourages the Government of the Sudan to implement the “Right to land restitution policy” so as to provide a solution to one of the root causes of the conflict as quickly as possible. With regard to the humanitarian situation, my country welcomes the improvement of humanitarian access in Darfur, including in Jebel Marra. It is nevertheless concerned about the recent displacement of persons during the reporting period, as registered in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/154), as well as the heightened risk of food insecurity. My delegation therefore calls on the international community to provide assistance to those people in need, and urges the Sudanese authorities to continue to work to establish an environment that is conducive to the return of people to their areas of origin. Likewise, Côte d’Ivoire encourages UNAMID to maintain its assistance in strengthening the capacity of judicial and human rights institutions so as to address allegations of human rights violations more effectively. Concerning UNAMID, my country commends its efforts to stabilize Darfur and congratulates the Mission on the scheduled launch of phase two of the reconfiguration pursuant to resolution 2363 (2017). Accordingly, Côte d’Ivoire welcomes improved cooperation between the Sudanese Government and UNAMID. The opening of the Golo team site demonstrates the Government’s willingness to assist the Mission in that important process towards establishing lasting peace in Darfur. Côte d’Ivoire therefore calls on the Sudanese authorities to pursue their work and ensure that the terms of the status of forces agreement are respected so as to enable UNAMID to carry out its mandate without hindrance. In conclusion, my country congratulates Ambassador Joanna Wronecka for the work she has done in her capacity as Chair of the 1591 Sudan sanctions committee, and reaffirms its support for her upcoming visit to the region. It also congratulates the Sudanese Government on its work in improving the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur.

I wish to again encourage all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. I would also like to express our thanks to your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Kuwait, for his able leadership of the Council in February. I hope that in the time allowed I will be able to comment on the report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/154), the briefings of Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo and Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, and the statements of the other Council members who took the floor this morning. I count on your understanding, Mr. President. First of all, I would like to address the Joint Special Representative for Darfur and the Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), Mr. Jeremiah Mamabolo, and thank him for his briefing and for his affirmation that the situation in Darfur today is characterized by a general absence of war. This is largely due to the adoption in June of resolution 2363 (2017), which has transformed the situation in Darfur and moved it into the peacebuilding phase. In this phase, we are all joining efforts aimed at successfully bring an end to tensions and return to status quo before 2003. Between 2003 and 2018, Darfur underwent a great transformation, and I personally witnessed and participated in all of the different phases and processes in this time frame, always in search of peace  — in Chad, Abuja, Doha, Geneva, Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and elsewhere around the world. I am pleased and honoured that we are now reaping the fruits of our efforts to achieve peace. Peace is important and it is part of the beliefs and constituents of the Sudanese people throughout history. I also thank the members of the Council for their concern for the situation in Darfur and for their recommendations, which we will definitely implement. We thank them for understanding the phase that the peace process has reached in Darfur and in other parts of the Sudan. We have reviewed the most recent periodic report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the UNAMID mandate in Darfur, which is presented every 60 days. We continue to believe that limiting the reporting period to 60 days is a constraint on UNAMID and the Secretariat at a time when Darfur is witnessing complete stability and significant progress in all aspects, resulting in reports that look very much alike and contain nothing new. I would like to add that since there is nothing new in these reports, except some petty crimes and incidents reported at police stations, this proves that the situation in Darfur has indeed been transformed. With regard to the implementation of resolution 2363 (2017), which provides for the reconfiguration of UNAMID and its gradual withdrawal, we affirm that the Darfur situation has entered a new phase of peacebuilding and working towards achieving stability, security and peace in all states of Darfur. This is in line with what the Sudanese Government has continually called for since 2015, namely, that we must adapt to the significant transformations that have taken place in Darfur, by which the nature of the conflict has changed. In fact, nothing remains of the conflict except with respect to the two issues of displaced persons and development, which are issues of importance throughout the developing world and directly linked to the agenda of peace. The time has come for the Secretariat to change its approach and bring it into alignment with the position of the Security Council. The people and the Government of the Sudan are now on the verge of a new phase of peace, stability and serious work in which they are seeking development in Darfur and throughout the country. As they embrace peaceful coexistence, they begin the reconstruction of their country with no difference between the State, popular, collective or individual efforts. The world saw the Sudanese girl Imtithal Mahmoud walk for 30 days from Fashir to Khartoum, covering a very long distance, which heralded the arrival of peace cultured in the Sudanese people. We hope that this will motivate the international community to support and encourage the Sudanese Government as it moves forward with the support of the people of Darfur to consolidate and sustain peace. One of the major projects is the campaign to collect arms from the citizens now that the reasons that led to the acquisition of these arms in 2003 no longer exist. Reports indicate that as planned, this campaign has been very effective, despite limited resources. We are determined to carry on with the campaign. As we have affirmed previously, it is necessary to collect weapons in order to achieve stability and security. The Secretary-General and everybody else have seen the positive impact of the weapons-collection campaign on the security situation in Darfur. The Government will therefore spare no effort to make this campaign a success. In this regard, we emphasize the importance of our partnership with UNAMID and the ongoing consultations and meetings with the Joint Representative for Darfur. We congratulate him on his continued efforts aimed at bringing peace to Darfur and Africa. We look forward to concluding phase two of the UNAMID downsizing, closing some of its sites and achieving staff reductions pursuant to resolution 2363 (2017). The Sudanese Government emphasizes that it will continue to cooperate with UNAMID so as to allow it to fulfil its mandate completely. We also affirm the importance of this cooperation in all areas, which has been documented in the report before us and previous reports, particularly with respect to unloading containers, issuing visas, giving movement permission and access to the Mission and humanitarian partners, as well as responding to UNAMID’s request to open a temporary operations base in Golo. We would ask UNAMID and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to reconsider the issue of constructing the Zalengei-Golo-Rokero road, which would greatly serve the people of the region and rehabilitate the service facilities there. We thank the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan for her report, and the Security Council for reducing the number of members of the Panel of Experts by one, who is Abhai Kumar. We confirm the statement of the previous Chair of the sanctions committee, to the effect that the sanctions regime must respond to the positive developments in general in Darfur, in line with resolution 2363 (2017), and that this can happen only by reducing the number of members of the Panel of Experts. The Panel must conclude its work and lift the sanctions. We are pleased to inform the Council that the Sudanese Government has approved the upcoming visit to Khartoum of the Chair of the sanctions committee, Ambassador Wronecka, in April. As for what some members of the Council said with respect to the number of displaced persons, I note that the resident representative of the United Nations in the Sudan, in coordination with the Humanitarian Aid Commission, confirmed six months ago that the number of displaced persons did not exceed 1.7 million. We are hopeful that that number has fallen further in the six months since that announcement. We would request that the correct figures be promulgated, as issued by the United Nations relevant bodies. In conclusion, we commend all the strenuous efforts made to consolidate the peace process. We once again welcome the dawn of peace and the launch of development, ending the conflict once and for all. The delegation of my country thanks UNAMID for its efforts in various fields and for the sacrifices of its peacekeepers in the past years. We also thank troop- and police-contributing countries and reiterate the readiness of the Government of the Sudan to cooperate with all regional and international partners in all matters related to UNAMID so as to guarantee its success until the last of its components leaves the territories of my country.

I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.