Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Sudan
We are grateful to Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA Operations, for her briefing. We welcome the participation in this meeting of the Permanent Representative of Sudan, Mr. Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, as well as the representatives of Angola, Egypt and Kenya.
Unfortunately, the armed conflict in Sudan is approaching the three-year mark. For all the efforts undertaken by influential regional and international players and various mediation initiatives, a peaceful solution is yet to be seen. As a result, there are growing economic and social problems, which are placing an unbearable burden on the Sudanese Government and neighboring States. The situation is further compounded by documented instances of ethnic-based violence. We see the reason for that in the fact that not all members of the international community are united and sincere in their intention to bring the longed-for peace to the Sudanese people.
At the same time, thanks to the efforts by the Sudanese authorities, the situation on the ground is slowly but surely stabilizing. This is happening largely owing to what is being done by the country's national armed forces in terms of restoring order and returning certain towns and neighborhoods to normal life. Russia supports these steps by the army and the Sovereignty Council.
We should also give credit to Port Sudan's efforts to move the political process forward. We have taken note of the road map for a settlement announced by the country's leadership on February 9. We believe that it contains the key elements which, if implemented, would ensure a transition to peaceful life. In this regard, we are convinced that it is our unequivocal endorsement for that initiative that could become a clear demonstration of the sincere commitment of the UNSC to resolving the crisis. Against that background, we believe that any parallel political steps to dilute this good initiative by Port Sudan can hardly contribute to normalizing the situation in the country.
We are convinced that the key to successfully overcoming all the challenges facing Sudan lies in the preservation of its unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and in the inviolability of its State institutions.
The efforts undertaken on the UN platform here in New York – namely, the efforts to improve the humanitarian and food situation and ease the plight of civilians – must first be well balanced and agreed upon with the current Government of Sudan. We hope that the members of the UN Security Council will be guided by the expediency and acceptability of any such initiatives for to the Sudanese themselves. Only thus can we expect the implementation of plans for lasting stabilization in the country.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains dire. We understand that the UN country team in Sudan and humanitarian partners there have a wide range of pressing tasks in front of them.
We are convinced that the shortest way to address them is through closer cooperation with the central Government of the country and its specialized bodies. We cannot recall a single instance when the Sudanese authorities would refuse to cooperate with humanitarian workers. Time and again, they have extended the authorization for the use of the Adré crossing on the border with Chad, they are working on simplifying supply chains and streamlining document workflow for humanitarians and cargo.
The situation is similar with regard to the protection of civilians. In January, the Government of Sudan developed a national plan on this issue. It provides for the establishment of an inter-agency mechanism, which would act under the oversight of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs. We believe that this is a step in the right direction, and this should not go unnoticed by the members of the Security Council. Our joint goal is to support the instruments that the Sudanese themselves developed for the protection of civilians. We should not try to go around them by creating some security mechanisms that are divorced from reality and obviously not implementable. No one can provide greater support for peaceful civilians in Sudan than their own Government and their army.
We are convinced that the conflict cannot be resolved through the use of force. The first priority here is to have the Sudanese opposing parties agree on a lasting ceasefire. This will open up an opportunity to launch a fully-fledged intra-Sudanese dialogue involving all influential political forces and the main ethnic and religious groups in the country. This dialogue will result in developing the outlines of the future governing bodies, which would be acceptable to all the parties concerned, and the configuration of these bodies should take into account the causes of the crisis. The Security Council and the UN system should complement and accompany this process, rather than impose unacceptable solutions.
Thank you.
