Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at UNSC briefing on the situation in Abyei
Mr.President,
We thank Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, as well as Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Hanna Tetteh for their meaningful briefings. I congratulate Ms.Tetteh on her new appointment. Also, let me avail of this opportunity to thank Parfait Onanga-Anyanga for his work in this office.
Despite some recurrent cases of inter-communal violence that Sudanese representatives and the Blue Helmets (including new Nigerian commando) address actively, the situation in Abyei has remained generally stable in recent months.
It takes joint efforts of the sides to promote inter-Sudanese settlement. Therefore, we welcome that representatives of Sudan and South Sudan stepped up their contacts in the reporting period, i.a. at the highest level. We also commend that the sides demonstrate readiness to establish mutually beneficial cooperation, i.a. on issues of joint exploitation of potential oil resources of the disputed region of Abyei. The visit of Chair of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan A.Burhan to Juba on 18-19 March and talks with President of South Sudan S.Kiir constituted an important step at this track. We welcome the convening of a paired session of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism and Joint Border Commission that took place in October. We hope that dialogue between Khartoum and Juba will facilitate agreements on the final status of Abyei.
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is an important factor of stability. We underscore that UNISFA’s mandate must be strictly implemented. The main goal of the UN presence in Abyei is maintenance of security and providing support to Sudan and South Sudan as they seek a mutually acceptable resolution of the border dispute. Russia welcomes UNISFA’s engagement in maintaining dialogue between Ngok Dinka and Misseriya with a focus on elaborating confidence-building measures for these two communes. We call to analyze more carefully the reasons for recurring outbreaks of violence in Abyei. We are looking forward to the next conference of traditional leaders which we hope will convene soon.
Mr, President,
There still remain some problems relating to the activity of the Blue Helmets and implementation of benchmarks of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). It is our firm conviction that these problems cannot be solved through pressure and accusations. We call on the leadership of the Mechanism to have broader engagement with Khartoum and Juba on these issues. The positions of both Sudan and South Sudan, as well as their concerns, must be duly accounted for. We hope that this consideration will be taken on board when the Security Council starts working on a Security Council resolution on UNISFA mandate rollover.
As we take it from Secretary-General’s report, replacement of Ethiopian UNISFA contingent with multinational peacekeeping force proceeds routinely and will soon be complete. It is essential to ensure that the new configuration enters in proper succession to the work of Ethiopian peacekeepers who demonstrated high professionalism and courage; and also exclude all logistical problems.
Presence of the Blue Helmets in Abyei remains very relevant. In this regard, we agree with Secretary-General's proposal to renew UNISFA’s mandate, including support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, for another six months.
Thank you.
