76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan
Statement by the Chair PR Sven Jürgenson
September 14, New York
Thank you, Mister President.
In accordance with paragraph 3(a) (iv) of resolution 1591 (2005), I have the honor to brief the Security Council on the work of the Sudan Sanctions Committee, covering the period from 14 June 2021 to today.
During this reporting period, the Committee received the Sudan Panel’s interim report. It also held its first in-person informal consultation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this meeting, the Panel briefed the Committee on its interim report. On 19 August, the Committee issued a press release on these informal consultations.
The Panel updated us about the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA), regional dynamics, the status of the armed groups in the region, intercommunal violence, and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. I would like to bring to the attention of the Council the following from the Panel’s briefing.
The Panel reported that both the Government of the Sudan (GoS) and the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) signatory movements had continued to promote peace in the Sudan, including Darfur. However, except for power-sharing arrangements, the JPA implementation had encountered delays. In terms of the regional context, the Panel noted that it had remained mainly favourable to the peace process in Darfur.
Regarding the armed groups in Darfur, the Panel informed the Committee that the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) had remained present in Jebel Marra. At the same time, there was some sporadic fighting in northern Jebel Marra between the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid forces and the Government forces. Thanks to mining revenues, the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid had been augmenting its capability in terms of recruitment, training, and weapons. The Panel reported that the Juba Peace Agreement signatory movements had returned to Darfur, some of them engaging in recruitment, while also keeping a number of troops and weapons in Libya. The non-signatory armed movements in Libya had also continued to recruit and grow, though several of these had expressed a wish to join the peace process and return to the Sudan.
The Panel noted that due to the delays in the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, in particular the security chapter, insecurity persisted in many areas of Darfur. Despite the Government’s commitment to improve security, the Panel reported that intercommunal violence, attacks against civilians by the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid factions, human rights violations, including acts of sexual violence in conflict were recorded. Employing more measures to enhance the protection of civilians for communities in Darfur continued to be of paramount importance and needs to be expedited. According to the Panel, more needs to be done to address the underlying drivers of the Darfur conflict, which in some cases had been exacerbated by competition for scarce local resources.
On the implementation of the travel ban and asset freeze, the Panel reported that it remained a challenge. A new instance of a travel ban violation had occurred with Musa Hilal’s travel to Chad in April 2021.
Finally, I would like to reiterate that the targeted measures and the arms embargo on Darfur serve the sole purpose of helping the Sudan to achieve peace. The targeted sanctions aim to thwart or prevent actions that may spoil the peace. The arms embargo currently in place in Darfur, ultimately serves the purpose of preventing further proliferation of arms. The Committee is supporting the upcoming review of sanctions measures in order to best support the Sudan in achieving peace. The 1591 Committee reiterates its steadfast commitment to work together with the Sudan and all relevant stakeholders to make peace a reality.
Thank you
