Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at UNSC briefing on the situation in Sudan
Mme.President,
We thank ASG Pobee and OCHA Operations Director E.Wosornu for the updates on the situation in Sudan. We welcome the Permanent Representative of Sudan to this briefing.
We are deeply concerned over the dangerous military and political developments in Sudan. Hostilities among the regular army and the rapid support forces (RSF) in the capital region of the country that have taken place in the recent months aggravated the already complex humanitarian situation. Thousands of people are reckoned killed and injured, more than 3 million have replenished the “army” of IDPs, hundreds of thousands fled to neighboring countries. Particularly worrisome is the situation in West Darfur and El Geneina.
We continue to call on the Sudanese sides to demonstrate political will and make immediate steps to put an end to the armed confrontation. We proceed from the assumption that all contradictions can be resolved at a negotiations table as part of an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue. The Sudanese have enough wisdom and political experience for that.
The region involves actively in addressing the Sudanese crisis. We note the efforts of the African Union and IGAD, as well as the process in Jeddah. We also take note of the summit of Sudan’s neighbors that convened on 13 July in Egypt, and the first meeting in N’Djamena of a ministerial mechanism, that was established at that summit. We share the opinion of the regionals that Sudan’s state institutions need to be preserved. The Sudanese authorities also put forward a roadmap for the settlement. We hope that the measures that are being adopted will create favorable conditions for stabilization and a re-launch of the Sudanese peace process on an inclusive basis. We are convinced that an initiative for mediation can be a success only if truly impartial. Any attempts to rift the efforts of Sudan’s neighbors and regional initiatives are counter-productive.
We value the assistance that is being provided to Sudan and the region via OCHA and humanitarian organizations, including the ones that have been on the frontline of the conflict from the very start and have worked on both sides of the contact line. We welcome the first humanitarian convoy to Darfur that arrived last week. We call on humanitarians to act in strict compliance with the UN guiding principles of humanitarian assistance and pay greater attention to rendering assistance within the country’s borders.
Mme.President,
We assume that any foreign interference in Sudan's sovereign affairs that can fuel the conflict is unacceptable. We call to stop trying to influence the situation via illegitimate unilateral sanctions that only aggravate the situation and add to the sufferings of the local population. Assisted by the Special Representative who had lost the trust of the Sudanese, Western states largely interfered in the domestic political process in Sudan, pushed the red lines of the sides irresponsibly, which is why they bear a significant part of responsibility for the collapse of the situation in Sudan. Taking into account the situation around the UN presence in Sudan, we understand the decision of the Sudanese authorities and call on the United Nations to act impartially, respect the opinion of Khartoum and sovereignty of the country.
We have to state with regret that such steps, aimed i.a. at creating artificial competitiveness in mediator efforts, continue. In the absence of a clear strategy how the global community can help Sudan find a way out, pressure and blackmail are useless. The techniques of “arm twisting” and manipulating with donor assistance that were used in Sudan can also be seen in other countries on the continent. We still think that the Sudanese must be given a full right to make decisions regarding the future of their country and people and also be able to bear full responsibility for them.
Mme.President,
In conclusion, we reiterate Russia’s unwavering commitment to helping our friendly Sudanese nation to overcome the current difficulties and get back on track of peace and sustainable development. We unfailingly support the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Sudan.
Thank you.
