S/PV.8663 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/2019/879, 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 2497 (2019). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

We welcome the adoption of resolution 2497 (2019) by consensus, extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and its support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism by six months. Indonesia recognizes the stabilizing role of UNISFA in Abyei and along the border region between the Sudan and South Sudan. We support the decision of the Council to maintain UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling and urge the Sudan and South Sudan to provide full support to UNISFA in the deployment of personnel. United Nations peacekeeping is increasingly tasked to operate in incredibly challenging and non-permissive environments, and UNISFA is no exception to that. The Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation in Abyei (S/2019/817) attests to the fact that UNISFA is facing serious support challenges. Goods, basic services and other capabilities required by the mission are not available in the proximity, due to UNISFA’s status as one of the most remote mission headquarters in peacekeeping. This is not to mention the difficult terrain and weather conditions that hinder the mobility of its personnel in carrying out its mandate today. Today, my delegation would like to put the following points on record. First, United Nations peacekeeping works best when it is fully supported politically, financially and materially. Resolution 2436 (2018) aptly identified several critical factors that have a direct bearing on the effective implementation of peacekeeping mandates, ranging from well-defined, realistic and achievable mandates to adequate resources, training and equipment. Secondly, United Nations peacekeeping will always be a collective responsibility in which all stakeholders have a role to play. Third — and this is a point that my delegation cannot stress enough — is the importance of regular, timely and meaningful consultations between the United Nations and the troop-contributing countries (TCCs) and police-contributing countries (PCCs). Indeed, TCCs and PCCs must always be involved not only in the discussion of mission mandates, but also in the development of standards of performance and the maintenance of the highest standards of conduct and discipline. It is only logical that countries whose people risk their lives for the cause of peace should always be properly consulted. We regret that all the important points that I have raised are not reflected in the resolution. It is our conviction that the resolution could have been stronger had it contained proper reference to a number of the issues I just highlighted. We expect that, in future, there will be ample opportunity to discuss them further with respect to all other United Nations missions. As the largest TCC and PCC represented in the Council, we are fully determined and ready to do our part to contribute to the strengthening of United Nations peacekeeping, including by sharing our experience and expertise.

While the Sudan and South Sudan have important political transitions of their own to navigate, the situation in Abyei and along the border between the two countries must not be forgotten. With that in mind, the United States thanks Council members for their efforts to ensure that the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) can provide security in the Abyei Area and support the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism. A special word of thanks is due to Ethiopia for its troop contributions to UNISFA. Without Ethiopia’s efforts in Abyei, it would not be possible to maintain a stable security situation. Creating temporary security and administrative arrangements for Abyei, resolving its final status and reaching agreements on border disputes is critical to supporting long-term peace efforts in both South Sudan and the Sudan. But more than that, the people of Abyei deserve to live in peace, without fear of attacks like the one that killed nine civilians in early November. The United States condemns this unacceptable violence. It is a sobering reminder of UNISFA’s critical role in protecting civilians and stabilizing the Area. With this renewed mandate, the Security Council reiterates its position that UNISFA is best equipped to ensure security for Abyei through the deployment of police forces, a strengthened civilian component and the easing of logistical constraints on the mission by both South Sudan and the Sudan. We also encourage the African Union to revive its mediation efforts, which will help accelerate the resolution of outstanding political issues. We commit to working closely with the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan to implement the renewed mandate, and we call for their cooperation as we support their negotiations on issues related to Abyei and the border. Finally, we call on Security Council members to increase bilateral efforts encouraging South Sudan, the Sudan and the African Union to maintain momentum on Abyei as well as to revolve outstanding border issues. In doing so, the Council can demonstrate its commitment to the region and, most important, to the people living in and migrating through Abyei in the hope that they may find peace, security and dignity.

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

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Madam President, on your country’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I wish you every success. Allow me to congratulate your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of South Africa, on the efforts made during that country’s presidency of the Council in October. At the outset, I would like to thank the Security Council for the spirit of cooperation and consensus that today allowed members to adopt resolution 2497 (2019) on extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for an additional six months. I would also like to thank the delegation of the United States of America, as penholder, for its efforts to facilitate the negotiations on the draft resolution. I take this opportunity to reiterate my country’s commitment to cooperating with UNISFA to enable it to implement its mandate pursuant to resolution 1990 (2011) and other subsequent resolutions. I would also like to reiterate our commitment to cooperating with the Security Council and the penholder, the United States of America, to achieve our common objective of maintaining and promoting peace in Abyei and to establishing the joint mechanisms that would lead to an agreement on the final status of Abyei, as stipulated in agreements signed by the two countries. Allow me to emphasize the position of my country regarding the importance of the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area of 2011. It is the basis for all relevant arrangements with regard to Abyei, including the deployment of UNISFA. Both parties to the Agreement  — the Government of the Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement, the predecessor of the Government of South Sudan — have agreed since 9 July 2011 that the Agreement would remain in force until the final status of the Abyei Area is resolved as stipulated in resolution 1990 (2011). Both parties also agreed that no amendment to the mandate of UNISFA would be made without the approval of all three parties — the Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, the only troop-contributing country of UNISFA. My country will therefore continue to cooperate and coordinate with UNISFA and all other relevant parties. We call on the Security Council and the international community to work with and support both parties, that is, the Government of the Sudan and the Government of South Sudan, to establish the three joint institutions — the police, the legislative body and the Executive Council — as the only means to achieve security, stability and well-being for our fellow citizens in Abyei. It is also the only way to reach an agreement on the final status of Abyei as stipulated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area of 2011. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate our thanks and appreciation to all members of the Security Council who worked with us and patiently listened to the views of my country with regard to the matters covered by the resolution just adopted. We thank all those who are helping to facilitate the work of UNISFA, particularly the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the United Nations, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council, the AU Commission and the AU High-level Implementation Panel for the Sudan and South Sudan as well as all those working in UNISFA. I would be remiss if I did not reiterate the Sudan’s commitment to cooperating with UNISFA so that it can implement its mandate smoothly.