S/PV.8795 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. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by myself as Permanent Representative of Estonia and Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. In accordance with paragraph 3 (a) (iv) of resolution 1591 (2005), I have the honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan, covering the period from 25 March 2021 to today. During the reporting period, the Committee held two informal “informal” consultations in the format of a closed video-teleconference and received the first quarterly update from the Panel of Experts on the Sudan. On 30 March, the Committee was briefed by the Panel of Experts on its programme of work for its current mandate. On 17 May, the Committee was briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, who drew attention to the steps taken by the Government of the Sudan to protect civilians, adding that national capacities remained limited. She emphasized that engagement with the Government and armed groups must continue to address the six grave violations against children. On 28 May, the Panel of Experts on the Sudan submitted its first quarterly update to the Committee. The Panel updated us on the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, regional dynamics, the status of armed groups in the region, intercommunal violence and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. I would like to bring to the attention of the Council the following from the Panel’s reporting. While Juba Peace Agreement signatories continued to support and work on the peace process, its implementation remained limited. The Panel reported that intercommunal violence continued to grow in several areas of Darfur, which also caused new displacement. In most cases, the Government of the Sudan was able to restore order. With regard to the presence of the Juba Peace Agreement signatories and non-signatory Darfuri movements in Libya, the Panel informed the Committee that they continued to maintain large forces there. On the issue of the protection of civilians, the Sudanese authorities took measures to address insecurity and violence by armed militias in marketplaces and other public areas. Since announcing its National Plan for the Protection of Civilians in June 2020, the Sudanese Government has taken measures to respond to the surge in clashes in different parts of Darfur, including by deploying the Peace Shield Forces and the Central Reserve Police, although certain capacity constraints remain evident. The Panel also reported that accountability for human rights violations and abuses, including for acts of sexual and gender- based violence, continued to be challenging during the reporting period. In response to the Sudan’s request to delist sanctioned individuals, on 8 June the Committee completed the process of reviewing the list of individuals currently under targeted sanctions, with the aim of bringing it up to date with current realities. As a result of the review process, one individual was removed from the sanctions list and three individuals remained under sanctions. Moving ahead, the Committee reiterates its readiness to review possible future delisting requests based on additional information. Finally, I would like to reiterate that the targeted measures and the arms embargo on Darfur serve the sole purpose of helping the Sudan to achieve peace. The targeted sanctions aim to thwart or prevent actions that may spoil the peace. The arms embargo currently in place in Darfur ultimately serves the purpose of preventing the further proliferation of arms. The Committee is supporting the upcoming review of sanctions measures in order to best support the Sudan in achieving peace. The 1591 Committee reiterates its steadfast commitment to working together with the Sudan and all relevant stakeholders to make peace a reality. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan for his briefing with regard to the quarterly report on the work of the Committee. The security situation in Darfur is steadily improving day by day. The ceasefire that has been in place across the Darfur region that has not been breached since it was declared. Moreover, the provisions of the Juba Peace Agreement, which was signed last October, are being implemented by the Government on the ground in cooperation with the peace partners. The Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers have both been reshuffled to include leaders from the parties to the Juba Peace Agreement. The first units of troops representing those parties have arrived in Khartoum and Darfur to implement the terms of the security arrangements and establish a joint force for the protection of civilians in Darfur. I seize this opportunity to reaffirm that the Government is determined to continue improving the security situation in Darfur by implementing the Juba Peace Agreement, collecting unauthorized weapons, upholding justice and accountability, implementing the national plan for civilian protection, involving the Abdul Wahid movement in the peace process and adopting measures to prevent the outbreak of intercommunal fighting. In the context of the Government’s fulfilment of its responsibilities to protect civilians in Darfur, the Sudanese authorities are working diligently to protect and promote children’s rights in general and to normalize the situation of children affected by the conflict in particular, as children are among the most vulnerable groups in conflict areas. A plan of action for the protection of children from violations in areas of armed conflict was signed in March 2016, followed by the signing of a mainstreamed road map on the issue in August 2018. Units for the protection of women and children have also been established within the structures of the Sudanese regular forces, which endeavour to immediately detect and address any cases of violations against women and children. I would like to point out here that the punitive measures imposed more than 15 years ago pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) and subsequent related resolutions are no longer justifiable at all. Darfur is currently undergoing a pivotal transition from war and conflict to peacebuilding, meaning that it is incumbent upon the Security Council to review and lift those sanctions in response to the positive developments on the ground in Darfur. An end to the sanctions will enable the Government to rebuild and strengthen the capacity of the security forces and law enforcement agencies in order to maintain and consolidate peace not only in Darfur but throughout the entire region, which has a long border where organized crime groups can perpetrate trafficking in persons and weapons, as well as other transnational criminal activities. In conclusion, we reiterate that the Sudan is fully prepared to engage constructively with the Secretariat and the members of the Committee to develop clear and well-defined benchmarks, as stated in resolution 2562 (2021), to guide the Council in its review and lifting of the sanctions. A delegation from the Secretariat arrived in Khartoum yesterday to hold consultations with the Government of the Sudan in that regard. The Sudan is committed to working with the international community to build a new Sudan that lives in peace with itself and its neighbours, as well as in its regional and international environment. In the light of the substantive changes to the Sudan’s domestic political conditions two years ago, it is incumbent upon the Council to engage positively with the aspirations of the Sudanese people. One of the most important aspirations involves lifting the sanctions imposed on the Sudan.