S/PV.8924 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 Ambassador Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia, in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. I now give the floor to Ambassador Jürgenson.

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 Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan, covering the period from 15 September to today. During the reporting period, the Committee received the second quarterly report of the Sudan Panel of Experts. The Panel updated us about the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, regional dynamics, the status of the armed groups in the region, intercommunal violence and the humanitarian situation. I would like to bring to the attention of the Council the following from the Panel’s report. The Panel reported that signatory movements had taken part in power-sharing in Darfur and Khartoum but that the implementation of the other provisions of the Juba Peace Agreement had been delayed. Meanwhile, the non-signatory movements, mainly the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid faction, had not heeded the calls to join the Juba Peace Agreement. The Panel observed that, while the national context remained unfavourable to the peace process in Darfur, the regional dynamics remained mainly favourable. For instance, the Chad-Sudan joint force continued to operate along the border between the two countries, contributing to stability in Darfur, and national and international actors generally agreed on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya, including Darfuri elements. The security situation in Darfur remains fragile. The initiatives of the Government of the Sudan regarding the protection of civilians are yet to show positive progress. Finally, as today is my last briefing to the Security Council in my capacity as the Chair of the 1591 Committee, I would like to say a few final words on a more personal note. I would like to thank all the Committee members, who worked tirelessly over the past two years. Together we made small but significant steps towards making the Committee’s work more effective and transparent. For instance, together we managed to update the list of sanctioned individuals, made the quarterly briefings to the Council more substantive and, perhaps most important, managed to strengthen our cooperation with Sudanese transitional authorities. I would also like to thank the Secretariat for all the technical support it provided over the past two years. I will be handing over the lessons learned, and I wish the very best of luck to the incoming Chair. I hope that the incoming Chair will be able to visit the Sudan soon. I would like to encourage my successor to engage in outreach activities with other subsidiary bodies as appropriate. I am confident that the 1591 Committee remains committed to work together with the Sudan and all relevant stakeholders to make peace in Darfur a reality.

I thank Ambassador Jürgenson for his briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. I am confident that you will manage the work of the Council with skill and aptitude. I also express my appreciation to Mexico for its good leadership of the Council’s work last month. I also thank the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) for his briefing on the quarterly report on the work of the Sanctions Committee. I wish him and his successor every success. Over the past years, the Sudan has stressed time and again its consistent position on the punitive measures imposed on our country pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) and subsequent resolutions. Its position is that the sanctions are no longer in line with the reality on the ground in Darfur today, as compared to the year in which they were imposed, that is, in 2005. The Chair of the Sanctions Committee has been repeating an encouraging phrase, saying that the purpose of the sanctions is not to punish the Sudan but to encourage achieving peace and stability. In fact, these sanctions do not serve any purpose except to tarnish the country’s reputation and restrict the movement of its forces aimed at resolving the security breaches. We just heard the Chair again saying, as he ends his tenure, that he encourages his successor to engage in awareness- raising activities to provide explanations regarding the sanctions regime. That is clear acknowledgment, 16 years after the imposition of the sanctions, that they still cause confusion and great damage to the Sudan’s reputation, and therefore must be immediately lifted. The termination of the measures imposed pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) and related resolutions will enable the Sudanese authorities to rebuild the capacity of the security forces and law enforcement agencies to maintain and consolidate peace, not only in Darfur but throughout a vast border region in which organized criminal groups sometimes smuggle people and weapons and engage in other transnational criminal activities. Lifting these measures will enhance the Sudan’s ability to become a State that lives in peace with itself and with its regional surroundings. It is also disappointing that the Security Council previously agreed to set benchmarks in the light of which it could review these punitive measures. But we are very concerned about the Council’s inability to date to set those benchmarks, as discussions on the issue halted suddenly. That leads to the existence of these sanctions indefinitely, which is an unacceptable situation. We previously confirmed our readiness to consult with the Secretariat and with members of the Security Council in order to reach applicable and measurable benchmarks, including facilitating a visit by a Secretariat team to the Sudan, where it met with the country’s relevant officials. All of that has been done on the basis of positive engagement and good faith, although we know that the Security Council previously lifted its sanctions against other countries without indicators, benchmarks or any preconditions. In that regard, the Sudan demands that the Security Council end the sanctions immediately, because they are totally useless and have no justification.