Statement by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Anna Evstigneeva at UNSC Briefing on Sudan
Madam President,
We thank Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Ms. Hannan Sulieman, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, for their briefings. We welcome the participation in this meeting of the Permanent Representative of Sudan, Al-Harith Idriss Mohamed, as well as the representatives of Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Ethiopia.
The situation in Sudan is, regrettably, far from stable. The country’s Government and its armed forces continue to counter the onslaught of destructive elements seeking to challenge not only stability and the security of civilians, but also the legitimacy of the current Sudanese leadership. The situation is particularly difficult in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan, significant parts of which are held by rebels. Recent developments around El Obeid, which the Council duly assessed in its press statement of June 20, make it clear what the enemies of peace actually want: to spread chaos throughout the country and create conditions for its disintegration. We are convinced that no member of the Council has any interest in such a scenario. Accordingly, in order to prevent it from happening, it seems logical to focus not merely on addressing the consequences of the conflict, which is now in its fourth year, but on addressing its root causes. To this end, all of us, without exception, must recognize the need for a more constructive approach by the Council to the situation in Sudan. It is of fundamental importance to fully take into account the observations and recommendations of the Sudanese Government, which remains the sole guarantor of the preservation of Sudan’s State institutions and, indeed, of Sudanese statehood as a whole.
Under the current circumstances, it would be a mistake to expect a recurrence of the events of 2019 when so-called democratic forces – ill-prepared to govern and dependent on external support – came to power in Sudan. All the more so especially given the developments surrounding El Fasher, El Obeid, and Dilling.
The pathway toward resolving the acute phase of the conflict is well known. It lies through establishing honest and constructive engagement with the country's Government. The Security Council regularly hears criticism that the current efforts on the Sudan are insufficient and that more decisive, coercive measures are required. Experience shows, however, that the Council's effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security in the Sudan is measured not by the number of resolutions it adopts or restrictive measures it approves, but by its willingness to manage the crisis impartially, listening to both sides, and without creating conditions that may undermine the efforts of either party to achieve peace.
Madam President,
At the present stage, it is extremely important to mobilize efforts to prevent the repetition of the El Fasher scenario in other cities across the country. Such an approach would fully complement the steps taken by the Government as it gradually restores normal life in the territories under its control. We welcome the relocation of most Sudanese State institutions and international organizations to Khartoum. We are confident that the Sudanese authorities will do everything possible for foreign diplomatic missions to resume their operations on the capital.
Equally alarming are the relentless attempts by Khartoum’s opponents to establish their own parallel governing bodies in Darfur and Kordofan. Such actions can only be viewed as an attempt to divide the country.
External mediation initiatives regarding Sudan must also take into account the position of the country’s current government. Any arrangements reached behind its back – including those shaping the modalities of a future political process – are unacceptable. Once the situation has eventually stabilized, it is important to secure a smooth transition to an inclusive intra-Sudanese dialogue aimed at defining the contours of the country’s future political and institutional structure. We stress that no influential political, military, or religious force enjoying genuine support among the Sudanese should be excluded from this dialogue. It is important to preserve the central and coordinating role of the UN in supporting the Sudanese settlement process.
In conclusion, we wish to stress that the situation in Sudan cannot serve as a pretext for extending the geographical scope of UN Security Council’s sanctions beyond Darfur. Even after many years, these sanctions have failed to effectively stem the illegal flow of weapons into the region.
We reaffirm our principled position in support of Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity.
Thank you.
