Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at open UNSC briefing on the issue of withdrawal of the UN-AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
Mme.President,
We thank Under-Secretary-General for Operative Support Atul Khare for his briefing on the drawdown and withdrawal of the United Nations – African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). We commend the work of the UN Secretariat at this track and your personal contribution, USG Khare, to solving this complex task.
We cannot fail to mention the courage and dedication of the peacekeepers that allowed to pass this complicated period of history of the Sudanese Darfur and stabilize that region. Therefore we would like to express our appreciation to the countries that contributed peacekeeping and police contingents to the Mission.
Mme.President,
Sudan is faced with numerous challenges at present. The developments in the neighboring Libya, growth of the number of refugees from African states, as well as the spread of COVID-19 – all this negatively impacts the situation. Socio-economic difficulties still need to be addressed.
Against this backdrop, we attach great importance to maintaining equitable contacts with the Sudanese authorities, promoting efforts to implement the Constitutional Declaration of 17 August 2019 aimed at domestic stabilization.
We welcomed the signing of the Juba peace agreement between Sudan’s Transitional Government and the “Sudanese Revolutionary Front” in 2020. Its implementation will be an important step towards national accord, solving urgent social and economic problems. We hope that Sudanese armed groups that so far remain outside the agreement will soon join it.
The situation in Darfur has seen no major negative changes. Sporadic inter-communal clashes in some states that occurred at the beginning of this year do not affect the overall dynamic. Rapid response by the authorities to incidents, as well as implementation of the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians proves the eagerness of Khartoum to take a comprehensive approach to stabilization.
We believe that UNAMID has been successful completing all its mandated tasks. Now it is time to pay priority attention to economic recovery and development of the region. Based on these considerations, we supported the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2524 in June 2020 that established the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). We also supported the renewal of UNITAMS mandate for 1 year in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2579 of 3 June 2021.
We hope that the activity on this UN presence will sustain Khartoum’s capacity on a number of tracks including peacekeeping, long-term stabilization in various regions of the country, including Darfur, economic reforms, as well as maintenance of domestic peace and legal order.
Thank you.
