Chair’s 90-day report to the Security Council delivered by the Chair of the Sanctions Committee, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN, H.E. Mr Sven Jürgenson
In accordance with paragraph 3(a)(iv) of resolution 1591 (2005), I have the honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the Sudan Sanctions Committee, covering the period from 26 March to 8 June
Following the appointment of the five experts to serve on the Panel of Experts on the Sudan until 12 March 2021, the Secretariat organized a virtual induction for the Panel which took place between 8 and14 April 2020. The induction sessions included planning the work for the new mandate and holding virtual bilateral meetings with Member States, including Sudan, and UN Following the induction, in a letter dated 21 May addressed to me in my capacity as Chair of the Committee, the Panel outlined its priorities within its mandate, outlined in the relevant Security Council resolutions.
In accordance with paragraph 2 of resolution 2508 (2020), the Panel submitted to the Committee its the first quarterly report, covering the period 13 March to 1 June 2020. Due to the restrictions warranted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Panel was unable to travel. Instead, it collected and verified information remotely.
For the benefit of the Council, so that it can provide the best support to Sudan regarding the most recent developments on the ground, I would like to highlight the following important elements from the Panel’s reporting, without prejudice to the national positions of individual Committee members on these issues.
The Panel reported that despite many hampering factors, including COVID-19, the peace talks in Juba continued, with 20 June 2020 set as the last date of negotiations.
The clashes between SLA/AW and the Government of Sudan forces in Jebel Marra have lessened since late 2019, due to the reciprocal However, SLA/AW continued to recruit and train new fighters thanks to its exploitation of the Torroye goldmine in south-eastern Jebel Marra. Further destabilising events concerned a sanctioned individual, Musa Hilal, and Arab communities. The Panel stated that the supporters of Musa Hilal have been mobilizing in support for his release from prison. In addition, the Panel also reported about possible formation of a new armed group by communities which fear that, they may lose the land that they have seized during the Darfur conflict.
President, in terms of regional context, almost all Darfurian armed groups maintained the presence in Libya that remained an important source of financing.
Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Panel expressed its concern that certain factors, such as having more than 1.8 million people in IDP camps and porous borders with neighbouring countries, may have a serious impact on the spread of the disease. The common social distancing measures against COVID-19 have been difficult to implement in IDP camps due to the difficult living conditions, in particular overpopulation and scarcity of water.
Finally, I would like to reiterate that all these elements were brought to your attention for the purpose of pointing out areas where there might be challenges arising, for the Council to be aware, as it deliberates how to best support Sudan during its transition. I would also like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the sanctions regime was established for the sole purpose of helping to bring peace to Darfur. It is not to punish Sudan, but to support to achieve sustainable peace. The 1591 Committee is committed to work together with Sudan and all relevant stakeholders to make this a reality.
Thank you, Mr. President.