Sudan Sanctions: Vote on Draft Resolution (Preamble)

"The final report of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, which was published on 15 January, provided an extensive account of the ongoing conflict, including its dynamics and regional impact, the financing of the warring parties and their recruitment patterns, the humanitarian impact and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), and the proliferation of weapons and violations of the arms embargo. (For more information, see the Sudan brief in our February 2024 Monthly Forecast.)" Read more.

From UN Security Council
What's In Blue 
Dated Friday, 8 March 2024, 19:51 GMT - here is a copy in full:

Sudan Sanctions: Vote on a Draft Resolution

This afternoon (8 March), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee for another year, until 12 March 2025. The vote on the draft resolution will take place after the vote on a draft resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Background

On 8 March 2023, the Security Council adopted resolution 2676, renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee until 12 March 2024. The resolution introduced a sunset clause, whereby the Council decided to reaffirm and renew the measures of the Sudan sanctions regime until 12 September 2024, and to make a decision regarding their further renewal no later than that date. 

The resolution expressed the Council’s intention to review the regime’s measures by 12 February 2024, including through modification, suspension, or progressive lifting of these measures in light of progress achieved by Sudan’s government on benchmarks two and three outlined in the Secretary-General’s 31 July 2021 report, relating to progress on transitional security arrangements in Darfur and on the national action plan for the protection of civilians, respectively. 

It also requested the Secretary-General to conduct an assessment of progress achieved on the key benchmarks established in the resolution by 1 December 2023 and asked the Sudanese government to report to the committee on progress achieved on these benchmarks by the same date.

In a 24 November 2023 letter to the Council, the Secretary-General noted that the country’s political and security situation had changed significantly since the issuance of the initial report establishing the benchmarks. The outbreak of violence on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces and the ensuing deterioration of security throughout the country, particularly in Darfur, had halted the implementation of the benchmarks and the UN’s ability to assess progress made on them, according to the letter.

The final report of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, which was published on 15 January, provided an extensive account of the ongoing conflict, including its dynamics and regional impact, the financing of the warring parties and their recruitment patterns, the humanitarian impact and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), and the proliferation of weapons and violations of the arms embargo. (For more information, see the Sudan brief in our February 2024 Monthly Forecast.)

Negotiations on the Draft Resolution

The negotiations were apparently difficult, leading to protracted discussions on the draft resolution that lasted over a month. The US, the penholder on Sudan sanctions, circulated an initial draft of the resolution to Council members on 9 February, followed by the first round of negotiations on 13 February. The penholder circulated a revised draft text on 22 February and convened the second round of negotiations on 26 February. 

After receiving written comments from some members, the US shared a second revised draft of the resolution on Monday (4 March), placing it under silence procedure until Tuesday (5 March). The members of the “A3 plus one” grouping (Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Guyana) broke silence, after which several other delegations submitted comments. Following bilateral consultations with some members, the US placed the draft text in blue without a further silence procedure yesterday (7 March).

The draft resolution in blue extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts until 12 March 2025 and requests the panel to provide the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee with an interim report on its activities no later than 12 August and a final report by 13 January 2025 with its findings and recommendations. It expresses the Council’s intention to review the panel’s mandate and take appropriate action regarding a further extension by 12 February 2025. Regarding the benchmarks established by resolution 2676, the draft text in blue expresses the Council’s intention to further review these measures by 12 September.

The draft text in blue contains new language, which was proposed by Switzerland, encouraging all parties and all member states, as well as international, regional, and subregional organisations, to ensure continued cooperation with the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, and the safety of its members. This year’s resolution also takes note of the panel’s reporting on the complex financing schemes established by armed groups active in Darfur and requests the panel to further investigate all relevant funding sources—including local, national, and international—of these armed groups.

It seems that one of the most difficult aspects of the negotiations pertained to the duration of the mandate of the Panel of Experts. The initial draft text circulated by the penholder renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts for one year. It appears that many members—including the P3 (France, the UK, and the US) and other like-minded states—strongly supported a 12-month mandate extension. On the other hand, China, Russia, and the “A3 plus one” members supported a six-month renewal. 

In calling for a short extension, these members apparently intended to align the mandate of the Panel of Experts with the mandate cycle of the Sudan sanctions measures, as introduced by resolution 2676. 

Giving the panel a six-month mandate would mean that the Council would consider the panel’s future and the sanctions at the same time, whereas a 12-month renewal of the panel (until March 2025) presupposes that the sanctions on Sudan would last beyond the sunset clause introduced by resolution 2676. 

It seems that these members aligned themselves with Sudan’s national position in calling for a six-month mandate renewal. Notwithstanding their opposition, the draft resolution in blue extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts for one year.

The other major area of disagreement related to the appointment of an additional expert to the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee. The penholder, in its initial draft text, proposed language requesting the Secretary-General, in consultation with the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, to appoint one additional expert to the panel in order to strengthen its reporting on compliance with the arms embargo. 

Members supportive of the penholder’s proposal noted that such an expert would be a useful addition to the panel given the flow of arms into Darfur, which represents a violation of the arms embargo. On the other hand, several members—including China, Russia, and the “A3 plus one”—objected to this proposal, maintaining that the current panel already includes one arms expert and that there is neither a consensus among the members on this proposal nor has the panel formally requested the appointment of an additional member. In an apparent compromise, the US removed the reference to the appointment of an additional expert at a later stage of the negotiations.

At the request of “A3 plus one” members, the draft resolution in blue includes an operative paragraph requesting the panel to assess in its reports, among other things: progress towards the promotion of peace and stability in Darfur and violations of IHL or violations or abuses of human rights, including those that involve attacks on the civilian population, sexual- and gender-based violence, and violations and abuses against children. The paragraph also asks the panel to provide the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee with information on the individuals and entities that meet the listing criteria outlined in resolution 1591 of 29 March 2005.

It appears that Switzerland proposed new language in the operative section requesting the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict to share relevant information with the committee, and inviting the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to do the same. However, owing to opposition from other Council members—including, China, Russia, and the “A3 plus one”—the proposed language was not included in the draft resolution in blue.

It seems that one of the other major issues during the negotiations pertained to language characterising the situation in Sudan. While several members supported the addition of language in the draft resolution reflecting recent developments in the country, some members—such as China, Russia, and the “A3 plus one”—opposed adding such language, noting that the draft text should only encompass aspects relating to the sanctions regime. The penholder made several amendments in the draft text’s preambular section, apparently to address these members’ concerns. Among other things, the draft text in blue:

• calls on all member states to refrain from external interference which seeks to foment conflict and instability, and instead to support efforts for durable peace;
• reiterates that those who violate the arms embargo may be designated for targeted measures;
• expresses alarm at the ongoing conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Darfur and recognises that the situation in Darfur is strongly affected by the ongoing nationwide conflict;
• strongly condemns the attacks against civilians and widespread cases of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict; and
• stresses the need for all parties to the conflict to cease IHL violations and abuses and violations of international human rights law in Darfur and to adhere to their obligations under these laws.

Tags: Insights on Africa, Sanctions, Sudan

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/03/sudan-sanctions-vote-on-a-draft-resolution.php

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Sudan: UNSC Vote on a Draft Resolution (Preamble)

"It seems that on 5 March, the Sudanese government sent a letter to the Security Council, conveying its decision to facilitate the entry and delivery of humanitarian aid through several routes, including from Chad through the Tina border crossing; from South Sudan through the Renk border crossing; and through humanitarian flights accessing airports in the cities of Al Fasher, Kadugli, and Al Obeid. The draft resolution in blue includes language welcoming the Sudanese government’s announcement as a positive step." Read more.

From UN Security Council
What's In Blue 
Dated Friday, 8 March 2024, 19:25 GMT - here is a copy in full:

Sudan: Vote on a Draft Resolution

This afternoon (8 March), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts on 10 March. The draft text was proposed by the UK, the penholder on Sudan. Following the vote on this draft resolution, the Council will vote on a draft resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

The UK circulated a one-page zero draft to Council members on Monday (4 March), inviting comments on the text until the next day (5 March). The penholder subsequently circulated a revised draft text on Wednesday (6 March) and put it under silence procedure until yesterday (7 March). Russia broke silence, after which some members submitted additional comments. Russia apparently expressed reservations about the need for a Council resolution and proposed a draft presidential statement as an alternative. The penholder subsequently amended the draft resolution, taking into account additional comments and incorporating some elements from Russia’s proposed presidential statement, and put the revised draft text directly into blue yesterday evening.

The draft resolution in blue calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities during the month of Ramadan and for all warring parties to seek a sustainable resolution to the conflict through dialogue. It also calls on all parties to ensure the removal of any obstructions to the delivery of aid and to enable full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, including cross-border and cross-line, and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and the “Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan”, which was signed by the warring parties in Jeddah on 11 May 2023 with the facilitation of Saudi Arabia and the US.

Over the last 11 months, Sudan has been grappling with the devastating political, security, and humanitarian consequences of fighting that erupted on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader and chairperson of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti). 

As at 16 February, more than 14,600 people had reportedly been killed since the onset of the conflict, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that collects conflict-related data. 

OCHA’s 23 February Humanitarian Update noted that approximately 8.1 million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict, of whom 1.8 million have fled to neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan. 

In addition, according to the World Food Programme, nearly 18 million people are facing acute food insecurity in Sudan, including almost five million at emergency hunger levels. (For background and more information, see the Sudan brief in our March 2024 Monthly Forecast and our 7 March What’s in Blue story.)

The fighting has continued unabated despite several calls for a ceasefire from regional stakeholders and the broader international community. In his remarks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Sudan held yesterday, Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that the Sudanese conflict “could ignite regional instability of dramatic proportions, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea”. 

He added that there have been renewed offensives in several states, including Khartoum and Al Jazirah, and that the hostilities could expand further east. Guterres expressed alarm about calls for arming civilians and popular mobilisation activities in various states and took note of the involvement of other armed groups, primarily in Darfur and South Kordofan states. All these developments “are pouring fuel on the fire for an even more serious fragmentation of the country, a deepening of intra- and inter-communal tensions, and more ethnic violence”, Guterres said.

In light of the upcoming occasion of Ramadan, Guterres called on the warring parties to observe a cessation of hostilities, a call which most Council members supported in their statements at yesterday’s meeting. Algeria, speaking on behalf of the members of the “A3 plus one” grouping (Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Guyana), called on the warring parties to declare an immediate ceasefire, to put aside their differences, and to use the opportunity of Ramadan to exercise restraint for ensuring a durable peace in Sudan.

Leaders of several regional and intergovernmental organisations have also called on the Sudanese warring parties to observe a ceasefire during Ramadan. In a 6 March statement, League of Arab States (LAS) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged all the parties to pursue efforts towards peace and dialogue.

He expressed the LAS’ commitment to support efforts to restore peace and stability in Sudan. In a communiqué released earlier today, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called on the warring parties to observe a ceasefire across Sudan during Ramadan, saying that this could help facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need.

In his statement during yesterday’s Council meeting, Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, conveyed al-Burhan’s message commending Guterres’ appeal for a cessation of hostilities during Ramadan. However, while expressing scepticism about the implementation of a cessation of hostilities in light of continuing attacks by the RSF, he said that “[a]ll those who would like to see that appeal transformed into action are welcome if they would like to present a mechanism for implementation”.

While Council members share concerns about the devastating effects of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, they have diverging views on the tools that the Council should use to address the situation. 

Throughout the negotiations, some members, including China and Russia, apparently pushed back against the need for a Council resolution and instead suggested adopting a presidential statement or a press statement, products which require consensus among Council members. It seems that these members argued for the need to have Council consensus on this subject and to respect the views of the concerned country. 

Commenting on the UK’s proposed draft resolution, China said in its remarks at yesterday’s Council meeting that “the Council’s actions should be conducive to diplomacy and avoid exacerbating tensions”. Despite these objections, the UK decided to continue negotiating the resolution and to put it to a vote today.

The draft resolution in blue encourages Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra “to use his good offices with the parties and the neighbouring States, complementing and coordinating regional peace efforts”. Lamamra assumed his role in November 2023 and has since been conducting diplomatic efforts, including through engagement with both warring parties and relevant stakeholders. 

Following yesterday’s open session on Sudan, Lamamra briefed Council members in closed consultations on his efforts towards resolving the crisis. (For more information, see our 6 March What’s in Blue story.)

It seems that on 5 March, the Sudanese government sent a letter to the Security Council, conveying its decision to facilitate the entry and delivery of humanitarian aid through several routes, including from Chad through the Tina border crossing; from South Sudan through the Renk border crossing; and through humanitarian flights accessing airports in the cities of Al Fasher, Kadugli, and Al Obeid. The draft resolution in blue includes language welcoming the Sudanese government’s announcement as a positive step.

The penholder made some additions and amendments to the preambular section of the draft resolution to accommodate comments from some Council members. Among other things, the draft resolution in blue, in its preambular paragraphs:

• expresses grave concern over the spreading violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation, including crisis levels or worse of acute food insecurity, particularly in Darfur;
• takes note of the need for unhindered cross-border and cross-line humanitarian assistance into Darfur and encourages the parties to the conflict to continue working in close partnership with OCHA and international NGOs to ensure the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance;
• expresses concern at ongoing reports of violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights law, including cases of sexual violence in conflict;
• urges continuation and strengthened coordination of regional and international efforts to facilitate an end to the conflict and to restore a lasting inclusive civilian-led democratic transition; and
• welcomes the appointment of an AU High-Level Panel for Sudan and the AU’s commitment to working with the people of Sudan to end the fighting and to put in place a process towards achieving a lasting and inclusive peace, democracy, and justice in Sudan.

Tags: Insights on Africa, Sudan

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/03/sudan-vote-on-a-draft-resolution.php

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Tucker Carlson interviews Vladimir Putin in Moscow

AMERICAN journalist Tucker Carlson is reportedly airing his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin today (Thu 8 Feb). Let's hope Mr Carlson clarifies that his references to 'English speaking countries' are confined to the US. People in other English speaking countries are better informed than the average American. His video intro, and the interview, can be viewed at Tucker Carlson Network https://tuckercarlson.com/why-were-in-moscow/

Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024

A Feb 6 post at X by Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson, copied here above, simply says “Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin”. The post contains a video of Mr Carlson explaining why he is interviewing President Putin. It is date stamped 6:44 PM · Feb 6, 2024 and so far (15:29 GMT) has 99.2M Views.

Related

From The Independent - Thu, 8 February 2024, 3:17 pm GMT

How to watch Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin

The interview will be broadcast on Mr Carlson’s website at 6pm ET (11pm GMT) and also on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/watch-tucker-carlson-interview-putin-144458540.html

Photo: Carlson in 2023. Courtesy Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Carlson

______________

UPDATE Fri 9 Feb 2024:

Report from BBC News

By Sarah Rainsford

Eastern Europe correspondent

Dated Friday, 9 February 2024 - excerpts:

Tucker Carlson: Putin takes charge as TV host gives free rein to Kremlin

[…] Instead of pushing the Russian leader - indicted as a suspected war criminal - on his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and challenging his false assertions, Carlson swerved off-piste to talk God and the Russian soul. The American had touted his sit-down with Putin as a triumph for free speech, asserting that he was heading where no Western news outlets dared to tread. That's untrue. The Kremlin is simply highly selective about who Putin speaks to. It will almost always choose someone who knows neither the country nor the language and so struggles ever to challenge him. Carlson's claim also ignored the fact that Russia's president has spent the past two decades in power systematically stamping out free speech at home. Most recently, he made it a crime to tell the truth about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Multiple critics - Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin and many more - are in prison right now for doing just that.…

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68248740

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'There's a 1939 feel to the world right now'. Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: We (UK, Europe, NATO) could be at war within the next sixty months. Here are some snippets from a few news reports by British journalists published towards the end of last month.

• 'There's a 1939 feel to the world right now'. 

• 'We are in a pre-war era’. 

• Russia could attack NATO 'within five years', German defence minister warns. 

• NATO now sees its chief adversaries as Russia and terrorist organisations. 

• World War Three could be on the cards if global conflicts continue to escalate.

• British citizens should be "trained and equipped" to fight in a potential war with Russia - as Moscow plans on "defeating our system and way of life", the head of the British Army has said. UK General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing Chief of the General Staff (CGS), said increasing army numbers in preparation for a potential conflict would need to be a "whole-of-nation undertaking". The comments, first reported by the UK's Daily Telegraph, are being read as a warning that British men and women should be ready for a call-up to the armed forces if NATO goes to war with Vladimir Putin.

• It comes after UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in a speech last week that we are "moving from a post-war to pre-war world" and the UK must ensure its "entire defence ecosystem is ready" to defend its homeland.

• Tobias Ellwood, a former UK defence minister who has served alongside Sir Patrick, said the military chief should be "listened to carefully"."What's coming over the horizon should shock us. It should worry us and we are not prepared," he told Sky News. The MP for Bournemouth East said that following decades of post-Cold War peace, there was a growing sense authoritarian states could "exploit our timidity, perhaps our reluctance to really put fires out" - pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "So Patrick Sanders is saying prepare for what's coming over the horizon - there is a 1939 feel to the world right now," he said.

Source: Sky News & Agencies Wed 24 Jan 2024

__________________________

HERE is a reminder of wondrous natural beauty in our fragile world, compared to evil ugliness of man-made wars and man's inhumanity to man.

From BBC News UK
Published Wednesday, 7 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award winner

IMAGE SOURCE,

NIMA SARIKHANI/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

A stunning image of a young polar bear drifting to sleep on an iceberg, by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani, has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

"Sarikhani's breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet," Natural History Museum director Dr Douglas Gurr said.

"His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss."

Sarikhani made the image after three days searching for polar bears through thick fog off Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Wildlife photography and nature fans from around the world were invited to vote from a short list of 25 images.

Four other outstanding finalists were "highly commended".

The Happy Turtle, by Tzahi Finkelstein

IMAGE SOURCE,

TZAHI FINKELSTEIN/WPY

Tzahi Finkelstein was in his hide, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water.

The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle's nose.

Starling Murmuration, by Daniel Dencescu

IMAGE SOURCE,

DANIEL DENCESCU/WPY

Daniel Dencescu spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome, Italy.

Finally, on the cloudless winter's day, the flock, swirled into the shape of a giant bird.

Shared Parenting, by Mark Boyd

IMAGE SOURCE,

MARK BOYD/WPY

Two lionesses had gone hunting, leaving the pride's five cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes, in Kenya's Maasai Mara Mara.

Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they called the cubs out on to the open grassland and began grooming.

Aurora Jellies, by Audun Rikardsen

IMAGE SOURCE,

AUDUN RIKARDSEN/WPY

Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun Rikardsen used his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during a single exposure, as moon jellyfish swarmed in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø, in northern Norway, illuminated by the aurora borealis.

The five images will be displayed online and at London's Natural History Museum until 30 June.

All photos copyright Wildlife Photographer of the Year

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-68215592

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