S/PV.8566 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. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2019/525, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Germany and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2019/445, which contains the special report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the strategic assessment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur. 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 2479 (2019). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I would like to thank all Council colleagues for their engagement on resolution 2479 (2019) and for coming together in this constructive way, and I am very pleased today to see the resolution adopted unanimously. I particularly want to thank our good friends from Germany, with whom we have worked so closely on this resolution as our co-penholders. With the adoption of this resolution, the Security Council has made the responsible decision to pause the withdrawal of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). This was the right decision and aligned with the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council on UNAMID. Moreover, it recognizes that Darfur is affected by wider instability in the Sudan and that there is a need for the continued protection of civilians in Darfur. In requesting options for a follow-on mechanism to UNAMID, we have demonstrated to the people of Darfur that we will remain committed to supporting efforts to achieve the sustainable peace and stability they rightly deserve, even after UNAMID’s eventual departure, and that should include tackling the root causes of the conflict. The current situation in Darfur and, indeed, across the Sudan is deeply concerning, as are the recent attacks on United Nations property and assets. We call for an immediate end to all violence, and we urge the Sudanese authorities to fulfil their obligation to protect United Nations and other international staff operating within the Sudan. In order to resume the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, we must see progress, and in particular the Rapid Support Forces must withdraw from all former UNAMID team sites so that they can be used for civilian purposes, as the Transitional Military Council has committed to. All of this should take place alongside a transition to a legitimate civilian-led Government, a Government that is accepted by the people of the Sudan and therefore the wider international community. The African Union and the United Nations need a legitimate partner with which they can engage on the modalities of UNAMID’s withdrawal and the broader transition to peacebuilding in Darfur. If these conditions are not met, and if there is no improvement in the situation in Darfur, we will find ourselves in the same predicament at the end of October as we are now, unable to continue with a responsible and sustainable transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding in Darfur. The United Kingdom, along with a number of other countries, would have liked a longer extension at this point to provide greater space for the talks going on in Khartoum and to align ourselves more clearly with the position of the African Union. I would just signal at this point that if we find ourselves here again in four months’ time with the same sorts of conditions, then we may well need a further extension. Let me conclude by echoing a call I have made on previous occasions, and that is to talk about the choice that I believe faces the Sudan. That is a choice around ending all violence, a choice around a transfer to a civilian-led authority, a choice that enables the international community to come in and really support the Sudan as it deals with a legacy of economic mismanagement over several decades and provide some of the economic and long-term support required for the Sudan to be able to retake its place in the community of nations, as it truly deserves. The opposite choice, I fear, will lead to greater division, greater instability and greater problems for the Council.

I would like to start by returning the expression of gratitude to the United Kingdom in agreeing to co-penholdership on this and to work together on resolution 2479 (2019), and I would like to thank all delegations for their cooperation during the negotiations and for their support for the resolution submitted today. The fact that we adopted this resolution on the peacekeeping operation in Darfur unanimously demonstrates that the Council is living up to its responsibility. We have to use the following image: we have turned off our autopilot and are not sleepwalking into a drawdown and eventual exit from peacekeeping, oblivious to the changing situation in Khartoum; instead, we have pressed “pause”. With this approach, the Council is taking into consideration the recent developments in the Sudan, in Khartoum, which, of course, have repercussions on Darfur. The pause in the drawdown of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) that was decided today allows time for the Sudanese actors to come together to agree on a transition that has been and is demanded by the people of the Sudan, the African Union (AU) and many international actors, including Germany. A civilian-led transitional Government is of paramount importance to peace and stability in the Sudan, the sooner the better. A civilian-led Government will be needed, from our perspective also, to normalize relations with the African Union. Again, that is very relevant to UNAMID, which, as members know, is the only, and a very successful, joint peacekeeping operation of the United Nations and the African Union. Germany is committed to that partnership between the United Nations and the African Union and the close cooperation with our African partners here in the Council. The pause in the drawdown of UNAMID does not imply that there should also be a pause in the mission fulfilling its mandate. On the contrary, the mission is mandated to continue its operations, including with regard to protecting civilians in Darfur. We also expect concrete actions by the Sudanese authorities, as the cooperation of the host Government is key in any peacekeeping setting, in particular with a view to a potential exit. Rescinding decree 102, which stipulated the handover of UNAMID team sites to the Rapid Support Forces, is a necessary step. It is really important that there now be concrete changes on the ground that allow the Darfuri people to have trust in their authorities and to enjoy security, protection and the rule of law. The United Nations camps that have been handed over to the Sudanese authorities and are currently occupied by the Rapid Support Forces must be placed under civilian control in a responsible manner. That is consistent with the relevant agreements. To be very clear, for Germany, it would be inconceivable that the forces that triggered the international peacekeeping efforts in the first place should benefit from AU and United Nations assets once the mission leaves because we all know that the Rapid Support Forces is a follow- up operation of the infamous Janjaweed. Looking ahead, we need a reliable and realistic road map that ensures that all UNAMID camps will be handed over to civilian users permanently and that civilians are protected once UNAMID leaves. That is a responsibility of the Sudanese Government. Today the Security Council paused the drawdown but we also sent a clear signal that we are looking beyond the lifespan of UNAMID. By requesting the development of a political strategy for engagement in Darfur and options for a follow-on mechanism once UNAMID leaves, we recognize that sustainable peace in Darfur requires continued international engagement and support — support for mediation, for capacity-building in the areas of the rule of law and human rights, for finding durable solutions for the internally displaced people and for creating socioeconomic development perspectives. Therefore, once the situation on the ground allows for that, the focus should shift from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. Germany remains committed to accompanying UNAMID in the current phase, including through individual police officers and staff officers. We remain committed to supporting a peace process with the Darfuri rebel groups, as well as peacebuilding in Darfur. We look forward to continuing to work with all members of the Security Council to ensure that we contribute to peace and security in the Sudan through a responsible approach with regard to UNAMID.

France welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2479 (2019), which provides for the technical renewal of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for four months. I would like to warmly thank the United Kingdom and Germany for having put forward the resolution. France has always supported a responsible and prudent withdrawal of UNAMID, depending on the situation on the ground. To decide on the closure of the mission, we need a legitimate Government that is fully recognized by the international community. The current political uncertainty in the Sudan fully justifies the temporary suspension of the mission’s withdrawal. I would like to recall that we strongly condemn the violence that has occurred in Khartoum and other cities in recent weeks and call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. We call on all stakeholders to exercise restraint. The challenge today is to resume political dialogue in order to achieve a negotiated and agreed transition, spearheaded by a civilian-led Government. In that regard, France welcomes the efforts undertaken by the African Union, supported in particular by the Ethiopian mediation, and calls on the United Nations to fully support those initiatives. Finally, we are very concerned about the increase in tensions and acts of violence in Darfur, and call on the international community to do its utmost to prevent the region, which remains very fragile, from flaring up again. UNAMID therefore retains an important role. It is essential that the mission’s assets be temporarily maintained in order to ensure the protection of civilians and the reporting of human rights violations and to facilitate the settlement of intercommunal conflicts, as well as to provide humanitarian access and allow for the protection of humanitarian personnel.

The Dominican Republic voted in favour of resolution 2479 (2019) in the understanding that, in fulfilling its mandate, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has the responsibility to protect the civilian population because, despite the moderate impact of the events in Khartoum, in Darfur there continue to be reports of human rights violations, mainly against children and women, unresolved intercommunal conflicts, internal displacements and restrictions on humanitarian access. Given that situation, the renewal of the mandate until October makes it possible for UNAMID to continue fulfilling its responsibility. The Sudan is in the midst of a political crisis. We must act with caution and prepare for the possibility of increased violence. One example is the promulgation of decree 102, which orders the handover of team sites to the Rapid Support Forces and the looting of the El Geneina facilities. Those facilities should be handed over to civilians. In that regard, we welcome the decision by the United Nations to suspend the transfer of the facilities and to pause the reconfiguration process. Twelve years after the deployment of UNAMID, we cannot allow the mission to fail. It is crucial for UNAMID to have a mandate commensurate with the situation that can be adapted to potential changes. The time frame allows us, albeit minimally, to rethink the exit strategy and focus on maintaining the mission’s capacities to protect civilians and monitor human rights abuses. The recent events in Khartoum open up a series of opportunities for an open, civilian-led political negotiation that is inclusive of women and young people, facilitates, above all, an accountability process, brings to justice those responsible for acts of violence and enables an independent investigation. My delegation would like to reiterate that the challenges facing the Sudan must be resolved through open dialogue in the interests of the well-being of the Sudanese people.

The United States thanks Council members for their endeavours to ensure that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is well positioned to continue its mission to protect civilians, support humanitarian aid to 1.2 million internally displaced persons and assist in the creation of an inclusive political process in Darfur. Ongoing armed clashes in the Jebel Marra region between the Sudan Liberation Movement/Abdul Wahid al-Nur rebel group and the Sudanese Armed Forces, intercommunal violence in other parts of Darfur and the recent attack on civilians in Deleij on 9 June serve as reminders of the ongoing security challenges that plague the region. For that reason, we believe that UNAMID should continue to implement its full mandate. As security in Khartoum is intrinsically tied to security in Darfur, the four-month technical rollover will allow more time for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to remove themselves from team sites, to ensure that the transfer of future UNAMID headquarters and team sites are for community use and to remain responsive to events on the ground. For now, we support the United Nations decision not to handover facilities or sites to the RSF and to safeguard the sites for civilian purposes. The next four months should provide further clarity on the national political situation. We expect the Transitional Military Council to transition to a civilian-led Government that is able to make progress towards creating the conditions for UNAMID’s planned exit. However, if negotiations stall or security conditions continue to deteriorate, we will look more closely at the planned UNAMID drawdown. We urge all stakeholders to make significant progress on putting in place a civilian-led transitional Government in the coming months.

Indonesia welcomes the adoption today of resolution 2479 (2019), which provides the basis for a technical rollover of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for another four months. We thank the co-penholders, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as other delegations, for their active contributions and flexibility, which enabled the Council to reach a consensus and once again prove its unity. Indonesia has consistently advocated for a responsible and carefully calculated drawdown and exit for UNAMID. The incident in El Geneina when the UNAMID site was looted should not happen again. The drawdown must be conducted in a way that does not create a security vacuum, with full regard for the humanitarian impact and the safety of the civilian population. The mission must be guided by a careful and honest assessment of the situation on the ground. Positive trends must be duly recognized and challenges addressed. We trust that the upcoming special report of the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission will serve its purpose of providing recommendations on appropriate courses of action regarding the drawdown of UNAMID. Indonesia also welcomes the affirmation of the Council’s strong commitment to the sovereignty of the Sudan in the resolution. Indonesia has been at the forefront of support for the promotion of peace and stability in Darfur. My delegation was a member of the Council when it authorized UNAMID’s establishment in 2007. We have been a proud contributor of peacekeepers to UNAMID, both military and police, since 2008. Indeed, at one point Indonesia was one of its largest contributors. There is no doubt that much has been achieved through the work of UNAMID in Darfur, including an improved security situation. Indonesia certainly does not want to see Darfur to slide back into conflict, and we hope that our Blue Helmets will not have to return there. We hope that the resolution we have just adopted will contribute to the promotion of lasting peace and stability in Darfur. In closing, we would once again like to pay tribute to the Blue Helmets who have put their lives in harm’s way in theatres of conflict all over the world, including Darfur.

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and my own country, South Africa. We would like to thank Council members for agreeing that now is not the time to continue the drawdown of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The Council’s unity in taking this decision sends a message about the importance of recognizing the current uncertainty prevailing on the political and security fronts. Though the African members of the Council would have preferred a six-month technical rollover to ensure adequate time to comprehensively evaluate the situation in Darfur, we nonetheless agree with the four-month period provided for in resolution 2479 (2019). That will enable both the African Union (AU) and the United Nations to make a thorough joint assessment and, hopefully, the mediation initiative to consolidate that process in the Sudan. The technical rollover supports and complements the decision of the African Union to postpone the drawdown. The decision taken today is an example of the important cooperation between the Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council in dealing with matters of peace and security on our continent. We trust that the leadership in the Sudan will effectively utilize the time that has been provided to address the political impasse, usher in stability and fulfil the aspirations of the Sudanese people. Moreover, the time allowed should ensure that all UNAMID team sites are cleared for civilian purposes, as originally intended. Peace and stability in the Sudan are critical for the region and for the continent as a whole, particularly with regard to fulfilling the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and silencing the guns by 2020. The Sudan has played an important role in finding peace and security in Africa in the past and it should play that role again. The African members of the Council hope that the planned joint visit to Khartoum by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chair of the AU Commission, and Mr. Smaїl Chergui, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, will soon assist the Sudanese stakeholders in finding harmony on a common transitional arrangement. We also hope that they can agree on a local road map for peace in order to give certainty and assurance to all the Sudanese people, including in Darfur, so that their motherland will soon enjoy peace, stability and prosperity. Lastly, we thank the United Kingdom and Germany, the co-penholders, for their leadership and transparency during the negotiations.

Poland welcomes the Council’s adoption today of resolution 2479 (2019), extending the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) until October. We would like to thank the United Kingdom and Germany for their efficient conduct of the negotiations on the document. Poland supported the resolution because we believe that given the current situation in the Sudan, we need a pause in the process of the Mission’s drawdown. We remain supportive of the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding in Darfur. Unfortunately, today the Council is not in a position to make any long- term decisions. We need more time to make sure that our action will not have a negative impact on the mission’s efforts and gains made so far in Darfur. On top of that, the African Union has urged us to halt the reconfiguration process until after the joint strategic assessment. Poland strongly supports the role of Africa’s regional and subregional bodies in resolving disputes and conflict on the continent, and we therefore took due account of the African Union’s position during the negotiations.

The Russian delegation supported the adoption today of resolution 2479 (2019), extending the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for four months. We understand the position of the African Union, which expressed the importance of conducting a comprehensive analysis of the emerging situation and developing the most appropriate concept for UNAMID’s responsible withdrawal. We also noted the Secretariat’s assurances that the June 2020 deadline for the mission’s drawdown agreed on by the Security Council would be fully respected. We once again call for refraining from insistent attempts to link the state of affairs in Darfur to the situation evolving in the greater Sudan. We cannot help thinking that if the work with the unreconciled Sudanese opposition had been done with the same fervour — and we all know perfectly well where those people prefer to live — peace would have come to Darfur much sooner. However, even now the situation emerging in this region of the Sudan shows that it is essential to reconfigure the peacekeeping support into peacebuilding support, for which all the necessary conditions are already in place. The representatives of the United Nations and the African Union reached the same conclusion in their latest strategic assessment (S/2019/445). We welcome the decision of the Transitional Military Council to annul decree 102, which some of our colleagues and the leadership of the Secretariat termed one of the main obstacles on the path to handing over the peacekeeping sites to the Sudanese. As we see it, the Sudanese authorities are keeping their promise and are interested in mutually respectful cooperation. To sum up, we expect to see specific proposals for implementing the Security Council’s decision to draw down UNAMID in September’s joint special report. We want to emphasize that we are opposed to attempts of any kind to change the plan for the Mission’s drawdown. The time has come to focus on recovery and economic development in Darfur. That should now be the priority of the international community.

The Security Council has just unanimously adopted resolution 2479 (2019), granting a four-month technical rollover of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and providing for an assessment of the situation in Darfur. We welcome the resolution. In recent years, the situation in Darfur has remained stable, thanks to UNAMID’s active and effective mandate implementation and the good offices of the African Union and other regional organizations. The Government of the Sudan has made active efforts to maintain peace and stability in Darfur and has played a vital role. It is our belief that the Security Council and the international community should continue to fully respect the Government’s leadership in the Darfur issue, strengthen communication and coordination with the Sudanese Government and listen attentively to its views and suggestions so as to ensure the steady implementation of UNAMID’s transition plan and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Government security forces. China has been a consistent supporter of the peace process in Darfur. It is one of the major troop- contributing countries to UNAMID. Over the years, China has made robust efforts to keep Darfur peaceful and stable and build UNAMID. Together with the rest of the international community, China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in achieving sustained peace, stability and development in Darfur.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Kuwait. At the outset, we thank the penholders, Germany and the United Kingdom, for preparing the resolution 2479 (2019), which the Council has just adopted. For its part, Kuwait voted in favour of the resolution, granting a four-month extension of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), because we believe that the mission has an important role to play. We supported the technical extension for a number of reasons. Kuwait supports UNAMID’s exit strategy, which will continue based on the technical extension contained in today’s resolution, in particular its paragraph 2. We have been committed to the decisions of the consecutive Summits of the League of Arab States since 2016, seeking to promote the Sudan’s vision for UNAMID’s exit strategy. In addition, Kuwait believes that the Sudan, a brotherly Arab State, is capable of shouldering its primary responsibility to protect its citizens. We are eager to discuss several issues over the next four months, including the identification of choices pertaining to the Mission’s exit strategy and the adaptation of its mandate to ensure a smooth and gradual withdrawal in support of the efforts made by the United Nations country team in the Sudan. Furthermore, the period given by the extension to assess the situation in Darfur will enable us to make ensure continued improvements there, as we have seen this year and in previous years, and as confirmed by the reports of the Secretary-General and the periodic reports issued by the Secretariat. We support the Sudan and its partners, both inside and outside the Council, in their efforts to build lasting peace in Darfur, create the conditions necessary for the safe, dignified and voluntary return and stability of the displaced, and strengthen the capacity of the Sudan to assume its primary responsibility to protect its citizens. We reaffirm the primacy of a political solution and we look forward to the concerted efforts of all partners to reach that goal, based on Council resolutions and in cooperation with organizations seeking to achieve security and development in Darfur and of which the Sudan is a member, such as the United Nations, the African Union and the League of Arab States. That should be attained within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of the Sudan and non-interference in its domestic affairs. I resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

As this is the first time I am addressing the Council, I would like to assure members of our willingness to seriously and fully cooperate and coordinate with the Security Council with regard to issues related to the situation in the Sudan that are under consideration by the Council. I would also like to thank all States that supported the position of the Sudan during the negotiations that led to the adoption of resolution 2479 (2019) earlier today. In the past, we have assured the Council that the situation in Darfur was constantly improving, as confirmed by all the reports submitted to the Council during the past period. We had hoped that the two penholders would have taken those reports into account in the resolution, in particular the report on the strategic review of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) (S/2019/445), which includes recommendations for a gradual withdrawal of the mission from Darfur, based on the options available. However, the penholders had a different opinion on the issue. Let me assure the Council that the Sudan is determined to restore normal life in Darfur, begin the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding and achieve the development necessary to address the effects of the conflict. We therefore see no justifiable reason for maintaining peacekeeping forces in Darfur. In fact, their presence would impede and delay the transition. We hope that the Council will take that into consideration when renewing the mission’s mandate in October. It is important that the Council change the way it deals with the situation in Darfur because peacekeeping is no longer useful now that the armed conflict has ended. The hybrid mission, which depends on peacekeepers from African States, shows that the African continent is capable of successfully addressing its own issues. UNAMID has contributed considerably during the last period to achieving peace and maintaining security throughout Darfur. The Sudanese people are very grateful for and appreciative of the sacrifices and efforts made by peacekeepers. Furthermore, I would like to assure the Council, and in particular my three brothers the representatives of the African States members of the Council, of the determination of the Government of the Sudan to make UNAMID’s mandate and goals a success. That would ensure that the mission, which was deployed 13 years ago, is the first successful model of African solutions for African problems.