Statement by representative of the Russian Federation Maria Zabolotskaya at the open VTC of UNSC "Report of ICC Prosecutor on the investigation of crimes committed in Darfur"
Mr. President,
The Peace Agreement that has been signed in Juba provides a unique opportunity to ensure long-term stabilization in Sudan and transition to progressive development. The authorities are ready to address the root causes of conflicts, i.a. the conflict in Darfur; and there is certain progress in implementation of peace agreements.
Khartoum has to solve the difficult tasks of restoring the country’s economy and implementing the peacebuilding initiatives – the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) is to help with that. The hybrid operation of the United Nations and the African Union in Darfur has succeeded with its goals. We believe it necessary to maintain the course at closure of the peacekeeping operation in accordance with the timeframes stipulated in UNSC resolution 2525.
The situation in Darfur has not undergone any significant negative changes. Inter-communal clashes in some states, caused, among other things by circumstances of seasonal cattle-driving, do not change the overall state of affairs. Besides, well-coordinated and prompt reaction of the authorities to these developments, as well as the active national strategy for protection of civilians, on the progress of which the Sudanese regularly update the Council, once again proves the eagerness of Khartoum to overcome the underlying causes of conflict in a comprehensive manner. We can only welcome such stance.
Against this positive backdrop, we point out that it has been 15 years since the Security Council entrusted the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the task to hold accountable all those who had committed the crimes in Darfur. However, those 15 years have not brought any progress. On the contrary, the work on the Darfur file exposed the incompetence and political bias of the ICC, which, for the sake of achieving minute goals, attempted to twist the effective norms of customary international law about the immunity of heads of state. In the meantime, having not received the lauded “Hague justice”, the Sudanese decided to take ownership of the situation. In this, we cannot but support them.
Thank you.
