S/PV.8524 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/2019/381, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. 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.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2469 (2019). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The United States thanks the Council members for their efforts to ensure that the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is appropriately configured for the current security situation in Abyei, creating space for the parties to seek a political solution to outstanding disputes. The Council has shown its commitment to helping the Sudan, South Sudan and, most important, the people of Abyei to find lasting peace, security and stability. The changes in the mandate are modest but they are important. Increasing the number of police in UNISFA while decreasing the number of peacekeepers helps to address criminality, which is the primary security concern in Abyei. Police forces trained to address law enforcement challenges are best equipped to support the local residents. Adding a civilian Deputy Head of Mission expands UNISFA’s capacity to manage reconciliation efforts at the local level and to engage with the parties as they seek to address outstanding challenges. The United States encourages the parties to capitalize on the rapprochement between Khartoum and Juba and to make more progress in resolving their disputes related to Abyei. That includes implementing the Council’s adjustments to UNISFA within the mandated timelines, engaging constructively in the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism and working with the African Union High-level Implementation Panel to resolve border-related issues.

The Russian Federation voted in favour of resolution 2469 (2019), extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). We note the stabilization of the situation in Abyei, where intercommunal dialogue has been established. We believe it is essential to maintain the presence of peacekeepers in the region with a view to ensuring security on the border between the Sudan and South Sudan. We pay tribute to the efforts of the Blue Helmets from Ethiopia. However, we feel obliged to point out that the text of the resolution fails to take many of Khartoum and Juba’s fundamental concerns into account, as the unofficial penholders are well aware. For our part, we supported the adoption of the resolution in consideration of the fact that UNISFA is still one of the few peacekeeping operations working with States that are parties to a conflict. The Russian Federation hopes the shortcomings I just mentioned will not have an impact on the effectiveness of the Blue Helmets’ fulfilment of their mandate. We assume that the Secretariat will be guided in its implementation by the fundamental principles of peacekeeping that require the consent of the parties involved. We hope that UNISFA’s activities will continue to help to build confidence between Khartoum and Juba in the interests of achieving a final settlement of Abyei’s status as soon as possible.

The situation in Abyei remains generally calm. It has benefited not only from the assistance provided by the European Union and the international community but also, more importantly, from good cooperation between the Sudan and South Sudan on the relevant issues. Whether the Abyei issue can be properly resolved has a bearing on the stability of the two countries concerned and the region as a whole. The continued active implementation by the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) of its mandate will contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, which is why China voted in favour of the Council’s adoption just now of resolution 2469 (2019). The Security Council and the international community should continue to provide constructive support to the two Governments in order to properly address the Abyei issue, support African countries in resolving African problems in African ways and refrain from imposing solutions. In particular, as the implementation of the resolution advances, we must focus on strengthening engagement with various stakeholders in the Sudan and South Sudan through communication and coordination, listening to their legitimate concerns and encouraging them to continue to strengthen dialogue and build mutual trust. China will continue to support UNISFA in fulfilling its mandate, and we stand ready to play a constructive role in achieving peace and stability in the area as soon as possible.

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

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. President, on our sister country of Indonesia’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and to wish you all the best. I would also like to congratulate your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Germany, on his efforts as President of the Council for the month of April. Since 2011 we have affirmed that the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area forms the basis for a comprehensive solution that should ultimately decide Abyei’s final status. The Agreement cannot be violated or its outcome changed without the approval of the three parties concerned, the Governments of the Sudan, the Republic of South Sudan and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. By its nature, therefore, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is a security force. It was deployed solely as a military component to carry out specific functions for a specific period of time. That is what all the parties agreed to and what the Security Council adopted. Now the Council has just adopted resolution 2469 (2019), which has overridden one of the most important principles of UNISFA and peacekeeping operations by creating a position of a civilian Deputy Head for UNISFA, in a violation of the 2011 Agreement. This appointment, without the approval of the parties concerned, is also considered a violation of one of peacekeeping’s main principles, the approval of the host country. As Council members know, Abyei is part of the territory of the Sudan, which has full sovereignty over it by virtue of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. With regard to the changes created by the resolution just adopted by the Council, I want to express the Government of the Sudan’s total rejection of any steps designed to change the mandate, composition or nature of UNISFA’s work, including the appointment of a civilian Deputy Head, increasing the police component and deploying a civilian component. In order to make sure that the Government of the Sudan can continue to cooperate and coordinate with UNISFA and other parties, we urge that our position be taken into consideration. We call on the United Nations to refrain from taking any action without consulting and gaining the approval of the Government of the Sudan. Maintaining the 2011 Agreement and working to implement its provisions as quickly as possible is the only way to resolve the Abyei issue and maintain the security and stability of the area and the region. As Council members know, the Agreement provided for establishing three joint mechanisms for administering the area until a final status is reached. The Government of the Sudan has emphasized time and again the importance of creating those entities, especially an Abyei police service, which could carry out security functions better than any international component, as well as creating a joint administration committee and joint legislative council. The tasks to be carried out by each of these temporary entities were specified in detail, agreed on by the Government of the Sudan and the Government of South Sudan and adopted by the African Union and the United Nations in the June 2011 Agreement. In conclusion, I want to reaffirm that the Government of the Sudan is determined to cooperate with all partners to reach a permanent and comprehensive solution that maintains security and stability in the area and the region and provides our people in Abyei with the opportunity to live the decent life that they deserve. We also stress that we are fully open to any initiative that will help to reach our main objective, which is a final settlement of the Abyei issue. I would also like to thank all who have made efforts to facilitate the work of UNISFA, especially the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union Commission and the United Nations.

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

We would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your presidency of the Security Council for the month of May. Our delegation is pleased and ready to work and cooperate with you during your tenure. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, I would like to thank the Council for its decision to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). We would like to thank the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations and the Ethiopian Government for their commitment and dedication to maintaining peace and stability in Abyei. Our delegation is encouraged by the open way in which the text of resolution 2469 (2019) was negotiated. We would like to thank the penholders for their tireless efforts and support, and the members of the Council for the consultations we had with all of them. It is an experience we should carry forward not only in matters relating to South Sudan and the Sudan but possibly for other issues on the Council’s agenda. Even if UNISFA is an interim security force, we are dealing with an issue that is not interim. It has been on the horizon for many years, but the many agreements reached to resolve it have been dishonoured. Upon the recommendation of the Secretary-General contained in his report (S/2019/319), the Security Council requested provision of services from United Nations agency, programmes and funds for the Ngok Dinka populations that are returning to their villages, which can only be delivered through a deputy head of mission, a civilian, acting as liaison. We therefore welcome the request in resolution 2469 (2019) for the Secretary-General to appoint one. However, we regret that the resolution did not call for the release of the report on the assassination of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, Bulabek Deng Kuol, and the peacekeepers. The joint police experience in Abyei has failed twice as seen in the double displacement of the Ngok Dinka communities, in 2008 and 2011. This is what led the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council to deploy UNISFA to facilitate the return and resettlement of the displaced Ngok Dinka communities into their areas. We believe that paragraph 16 of resolution 2445 (2018), which is the same as paragraph 17 in the resolution 2469 (2019), answers the issue of the joint police by permitting UNISFA to facilitate the coordination of the Juba administration in Abyei and the Misseriya administration in El-Muglad so as to deal with security matters that arise in the area until the final status is determined. One of the core principles of peacekeeping is the consent of Member States. We therefore urge the Council to respect this important rule, especially when dealing with the deployment of peacekeepers. The Republic of South Sudan is interested in finding a clear plan for the determination of the status of the people of the Dinka Ngok which has already been spelled out in different agreements and through legal arbitration. South Sudan therefore urges the Council to support the parties in achieving the final status of the region. In conclusion, once again, we would like to assure the Council that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is committed to the implementation of the mandate and accordingly to the principle that Abyei remain our shared sovereign responsibility until a final status is determined.