Sudan: ASG for Africa briefs UNSC on deadly spiral of violence. UNSG appoints Martin to review UNITAMS

THE UN Secretary-General has appointed Ian Martin – a seasoned UN negotiator, who led missions in Libya, Nepal, Timor Leste as well as Ethiopia and Eritrea – to lead a strategic review of UNITAMS to provide the Security Council with options on how to adapt its mandate to fit the wartime conditions. Note that the UK is the penholder on Sudan and in November China holds the presidency of the Security Council. Read more.

From United Nations News - un.org/en
Dated Thursday, 16 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan: Deadly spiral of violence continues between military rivals

© UNICEF/Zehbrauskas A child stands with water collected from an IDP camp in Nyala, Darfur. (file)

The war between rival militaries in Sudan, which has been raging for over seven months has further intensified in recent weeks, particularly in the volatile Darfur region, a senior UN official said on Thursday.

Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, informed ambassadors on the Security Council that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have gained territory, pushing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) out of several of its bases in the region since late October.

The RSF seems poised to advance on El Fasher in north Darfur, a major town and the last SAF holdout in the region, according to media reports.

“An RSF attack on El Fasher or its surrounding areas could result in high numbers of civilian casualties, due to the large number of internally displaced persons located there,” Ms. Pobee said.

She informed Council members that some armed groups in the region, which had so far been neutral in the conflict, have allied with the SAF.

Outside of Darfur, clashes continue in Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri, with the main fighting taking place around SAF strongholds. Hostilities are also spreading into new areas, including Gezira, White Nile and West Kordofan states, Ms. Pobee added.

Humanitarian calamity

The conflict has caused a severe humanitarian crisis and increasing human rights violations in Sudan, resulting in the deaths of over 6,000 civilians, including women and children, since April.

Across the country, over 7.1 million people have been driven from their homes, including hundreds of thousands into neighbouring countries.

Despite difficulties in access, attacks on aid workers, and bureaucratic hurdles, the UN and partners have delivered life-saving aid to 4.1 million people, which is only 22 percent of the targeted assistance for 2023.

“Civilians continue to face serious violations of human rights, including sexual and gender-based violence,” she said, noting that testimonies collected by the UN mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) pointed to RSF personnel or men in RSF uniforms as alleged perpetrators.

Adapting the mission

Ms. Pobee further said that the Secretary-General has appointed Ian Martin – a seasoned UN negotiator, who led missions in Libya, Nepal, Timor Leste as well as Ethiopia and Eritrea – to lead a strategic review of UNITAMS to provide the Security Council with options on how to adapt its mandate to fit the wartime conditions.

“Mr. Martin will hold extensive consultations with key stakeholders including Sudanese authorities, civil society, regional and sub-regional organizations, Member States and relevant entities within the UN system,” she added.

Fighting is futile

In conclusion, Ms. Pobee emphasized that it is crucial for the SAF and RSF to “recognize the futility of continued fighting and prioritize dialogue and deescalation.”

She emphasized that Sudan’s situation should remain a global concern, urging the international community to renew its commitment to coordinated peace efforts led by the region.

View original: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143687

[Ends]

Sudan asks UN to 'immediately terminate' the UN political mission in the country (UNITAMS) -letter

Report from Reuters
Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Rami Ayyub; 
Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis
Dated Thursday, 16 November 2023 11:58 PM GMT - here is a copy in full:

Sudan asks UN to 'immediately terminate' political mission -letter

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Sudan asked the United Nations on Thursday to "immediately terminate" the U.N. political mission in the country (UNITAMS), Sudan's acting Foreign Minister Ali Sadeq, told the U.N. Security Council in a letter seen by Reuters.

"(The) government of Sudan requested that the United Nations immediately terminate the UNITAMS mission. At the same time, we would like to assure you that the Government of Sudan is committed to engaging constructively with the Security Council and the Secretariat," Sadeq wrote in a letter addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and circulated to the U.N. Security Council.

"The purpose of establishing the mission (was) to assist the transitional government of Sudan after the December 2018 revolution," he wrote, adding that the mission's performance in implementing its objectives "was disappointing."

When asked about Sudan’s decision, Guterres spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the letter had been received and circulated to the Security Council.

A war erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces after weeks of rising tension between the two sides over a plan to integrate forces as part of a transition from military rule to civilian democracy.

The U.N. special envoy to Sudan announced in September that he was stepping down, more than three months after Sudan declared him unwelcome after disagreements between rival factions erupted into war.

View original: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-asks-un-immediately-terminate-political-mission-letter-2023-11-16/

[Ends]

Sudan: UN Security Council Briefing & Consultations

From What's In Blue 
Dated Wednesday, 15 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

Tomorrow afternoon (16 November), the Security Council will convene for an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report (S/2023/861), which was circulated to Council members on 10 November and covers developments from 21 August to 31 October. Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division Edem Wosornu is likely to brief Council members in the closed consultations. The UK, the penholder on Sudan, is expected to propose press elements in connection with OCHA’s briefing.

This is likely to be the Council’s last meeting on Sudan before the expiry of UNITAMS’ mandate on 3 December. Council members are currently negotiating a UK-authored draft resolution renewing the mission’s mandate.

In a 6 November letter addressed to the president of the Security Council, the Secretary-General announced his decision to initiate an independent strategic review of UNITAMS. The letter said that the strategic review seeks to provide the Council with recommendations to ensure that the UN is best positioned to support peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts in Sudan over the next 12 to 18 months. It further noted that the findings and recommendations of the strategic review will be shared with Council members in January 2024.

The decision to initiate the strategic review comes against the backdrop of devastating fighting that erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader and chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti). Despite several calls for a ceasefire from regional stakeholders and the broader international community, fighting has persisted over the past seven months, resulting in dire political, security, and humanitarian consequences.

During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s 10 November report, fighting continued in the cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri, as well as in Darfur and Kordofan states, and expanded to new areas, such as White Nile and Gezira states. In recent weeks, the fighting has intensified across several parts of the country, particularly in Darfur. According to the Secretary-General’s report, following heavy fighting on 26 October, the RSF gained full control over the SAF base in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. Moreover, following a 30 October RSF attack on the SAF base in Zalingei, Central Darfur state, the warring parties reached a settlement resulting in the withdrawal of SAF forces and the RSF gaining de facto control over Zalingei and its main roads.Nder

In a 14 November statement, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu expressed alarm about the renewed escalation of fighting in Nyala, Geneina, and Zalingei. The statement said that “[t]he latest reports from the Darfur region depict a deeply disturbing picture of continued systematic and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including along ethnic lines”, adding that “the risks of genocide and related atrocity crimes in the region remain grimly high”. It further voiced concern about “serious allegations of mass killings in an area housing a camp for displaced families in Ardamata, Geneina, where more than 800 people were reportedly killed and 8,000 others fled to neighbouring Chad”.

The Secretary-General’s report notes that UNITAMS has continued to exercise its good offices in support of efforts to end the conflict and prepare for an eventual return to a political transition. During the reporting period, the mission carried out field-based and remote monitoring and reporting on human rights violations and abuses, while maintaining strategic engagement and advocacy with key stakeholders. The report further notes that UNITAMS continues to face several operational challenges, including communication disruptions, security conditions, and access limitations. The mission is currently operating inside Sudan, and also has temporary presences in Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

At tomorrow’s meeting, Pobee is expected to update members on developments regarding the ongoing regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis. The Saudi-US facilitated talks between the Sudanese warring parties in Jeddah resumed on 26 October with the participation of a joint representative of the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). (The talks, which began on 6 May, had been suspended following the SAF’s withdrawal on 31 May.)

On 7 November, the co-facilitators of the Jeddah talks announced that the Sudanese warring parties had committed to participating in a joint humanitarian forum led by OCHA to resolve impediments to humanitarian access and delivery of assistance. They further agreed to implement confidence-building measures relating to, among other matters, the establishment of communication channels between the warring parties and arrest of prison escapees and fugitives.

The first meeting of the humanitarian forum was convened on 13 November by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths and Deputy Special Representative for Sudan and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami. The meeting was attended by SAF and RSF representatives, along with the co-facilitators of the Jeddah talks. In his remarks at the meeting, Griffiths said that more than 10,000 people have reportedly been killed since the start of the conflict and that 25 million people in Sudan remain in need of aid. He emphasised the need for safe and unhindered humanitarian access and called on parties to the conflict to ensure protection of civilians in areas under their control. He added that he was “appalled by the horrific reports of extreme violence against civilians, including ethnic-based attacks and sexual violence”. At tomorrow’s meeting, some Council member may welcome the convening of the humanitarian forum and call on the warring parties to adhere to their obligations, while stressing the need for ensuring unfettered humanitarian access.

Amid the escalating violence in the country, on 13 November, al-Burhan visited Nairobi to meet Kenyan President William Ruto. According to a joint statement released following the meeting, the leaders agreed to work towards convening an urgent IGAD summit to find ways to accelerate the talks in Jeddah towards cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The statement added that the IGAD summit “will also agree on a framework for an all-inclusive Sudanese dialogue”. (Kenya is currently chairing the IGAD-led mediation process for Sudan, comprising Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan.) Tomorrow, some Council members may call for coordination of, and cooperation among, the different diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict.

Council members are likely to condemn the violence in Sudan and emphasise the need for a ceasefire. Some members may raise concerns about the high incidence of conflict-related sexual violence and are likely to continue stressing the need to ensure accountability and justice. According to the Secretary-General’s 10 November report, since the onset of conflict, the Joint Human Rights Office has received credible reports of 53 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involving at least 106 victims, primarily in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan states.

Another important issue raised by the Secretary-General’s 10 November report concerns increasing incidents of violence against children in Sudan. During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s report, the UN country task force on monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children in armed conflict (CTFMR) verified 314 grave violations against 303 children. (The six grave violations are child recruitment and use; killing and maiming; abductions; rape and other forms of sexual violence; attacks on schools and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian access.)

Several Council members are expected to express concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, rising food insecurity, attacks against civilian infrastructure (including schools and hospitals), and the worsening health situation in the country. According to a 25 October OCHA press release, 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected states are not functional, while facilities in states not affected by the conflict have been overwhelmed by an influx of people displaced by the fighting.

According to data presented by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 4.63 million people have been displaced internally across Sudan’s 18 states since the conflict began. At the same time, more than 1.17 million people have sought refuge in Sudan’s neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the briefers and several Council members might call for enhanced funding from the international community to support the humanitarian response in Sudan. At the time of writing, Sudan’s 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, requiring $2.57 billion, was 33.4 percent funded.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/11/sudan-briefings-and-consultations.php

_______________________

13 Nov 2023, Kenyan President William Ruto received Gen. Abdel-Fattah Al Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, in Nairobi.

Source: https://www.president.go.ke/joint-statement-at-the-conclusion-of-consultations-between-h-e-president-william-ruto-and-h-e-president-abdel-fattah-al-burhan/

[Ends]

FULL TEXT: UNITAMS Volker Perthes Remarks to UN Security Council Meeting on Sudan 09 August 2023

Report from Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com

Dated 09 August 2023 - here is a full copy:

UNITAMS Volker Perthes remarks to the Security Council on August 9, 2023

Image: Volker Perthes briefs the Security Council about the situation in Sudan on May 22, 2023

August 9, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Hereunder is the briefing that the banned UN Secretary-General Special Representative to Sudan, Volker Perthes, had to present to the Security Council members on Sudan.

Following threats by the Sudanese military-led government to end the UNITAMS if he briefs the Council, the UN decided to prevent him from speaking to the 15-members body and replaced him by Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa.

 

Security Council session on Sudan

9 August 2023

 

Madame President

Members of the Security Council,

Thank you for this opportunity to brief you on the situation in Sudan.

More than one hundred days have passed since the eruption of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

Clashes between these parties continue in various parts of the country, particularly Khartoum, Bahri, Omdurman and Darfur, with neither side achieving victory nor making any significant gains. Khartoum State remains an epicentre of the conflict, with major combat concentrated around key SAF installations including the Sudanese Armed Forces General Command Headquarters.  Fighting is continuing in neighbourhoods. This week the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces both ordered residents to leave their homes in a part of Omdurman, declaring it “an area of operations”.

The parties have exacted tremendous suffering on the people of the Darfur region.  The fighting in Darfur continues to reopen the old wounds of ethnic tension of past conflicts in the region. The brutal violence experienced in El Geneina and Sirba are particular examples of this situation.  This is deeply worrying and could quickly engulf the country in a prolonged ethnic conflict with regional spillovers. The initiative by Chad to convene a grouping of Darfurian stakeholders to address the situation in the region is therefore welcome and should be built upon while ensuring the participation of a broad range of stakeholders, including armed groups, tribal leaders, civil society, and women’s groups.

The situation in the two Kordofan and the Blue Nile States of Sudan continues to be fragile, with persistent military actions and frequent road closures.  In North Kordofan, SAF controls El Obeid city while RSF is controlling areas around the city.

Since June, the SPLM-North Al Hilu faction has continued to make military advancements in SAF-controlled areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, in which SPLM N claims is an attempt to take back territory previously taken from them.

While the East is relatively calm, there are indications of active mobilization efforts in support of SAF, with the emergence of mobilization committees and establishment of military training camps. The mobilization is particularly worrisome and risks plunging the East into conflict along ethnic lines, further highlighting the fragility of the region.

The Northern part of the country remains under Sudanese Armed Forces control.

Excellencies,

The conflict in Sudan continues to have immense repercussions on the country and its people who continue to face unimaginable suffering [The humanitarian and protection needs are rising by the day with no signs of a reprieve.  My humanitarian colleague Ms Edem Wosornu will brief you in detail on the mounting humanitarian needs and response efforts.

The indiscriminate and sometimes targeted attacks on civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure continue, particularly in Khartoum, Darfur, and North Kordofan, as the parties continue to disregard calls to protect civilians and uphold their international human rights and humanitarian law obligations.

Sexual violence continues to be perpetrated on a large scale, while children continue to be killed or victimized or are at risk of being recruited to fight.

The systematic abductions and killings of human rights defenders in Darfur and Khartoum are on the rise. The parties to the conflict must take concrete actions to end and investigate these violations, and support must be provided to strengthen human rights defenders’ networks and better protect human rights defenders.

UNITAMS and the wider UN have on several occasions denounced specific egregious violations such as ethnically-motivated attacks in West Darfur, systematic looting and rape, or aerial bombardments, and have named those responsible.

Hostilities in the country must come to an end and perpetrators should be held accountable for crimes committed, including sexual violence.

Excellencies,

We welcome the ongoing efforts by the African Union and IGAD to end the conflict in Sudan. UNITAMS remains committed to support these efforts, including through the AU-led Expanded Mechanism and its Core Group – which the UN is a part of. We also welcome the continued efforts of the US and Saudi Arabia to facilitate negotiations between the conflicting parties in Jeddah, as well as the initiative of Sudan’s neighbouring countries to help resolve the conflict. The common thread among these initiatives is the call for a permanent cessation of hostilities, facilitation of humanitarian access, and engagement with civilian stakeholders in an inclusive political process.

Coordination between the existing regional and international mechanisms and fora remains essential to maximize the collective leverage of regional and international actors and enhance the effectiveness of mediation efforts. The United Nations is supporting a joined-up approach towards facilitating a comprehensive solution and will continue to work closely with our partners – particularly the African Union and IGAD in this regard, in coordination with others.

We must also highlight that a broad range of civilians remain committed to ending the war and a resumption of a transition leading to a democratic state. Civilians, tribal leaders and others are coming under increasing pressure to take sides in the war, and we continue to urge against this. Such pressure will only lead to a civil war with ethnic and regional repercussions for decades to come. In fact, UNITAMS is supporting efforts by local leaders to prevent or de-escalate conflicts, particularly in Darfur.

UNITAMS also welcomes the ongoing efforts by civilian leaders to consolidate various civilian initiatives under one umbrella to unify anti-war forces in one broad front and prepare for an inclusive political process. It is important to include civil society, women’s rights groups, youth, trade professions, and resistance committees whose voices and engagement are particularly significant in any efforts to end the conflict in Sudan.  UNITAMS continues its outreach with these initiatives and encouraging broad-based inclusivity.

Let me also highlight the important role Sudanese women are playing by leading several anti-war initiatives that call for the immediate cessation of violence, accountability for human rights violations, including sexual violence, and for women’s participation in ceasefire negotiations and any future political process. Their voice must be heard.

Excellencies,

Let me close by reiterating that there needs to be a negotiated solution to end this war as soon as possible. There is no other alternative. Calls by some to continue the war in order to achieve a military victory will only contribute to destroying the country. The longer this war continues, the greater the risk of fragmentation, and foreign interference and erosion of sovereignty, and the loss of Sudan’s future, particularly its youth. Now is the time to end this senseless war and return to negotiations. UNITAMS, along with its partners, will continue to engage with both sides towards this goal and we count on the united support of this Council.

Thank you, Madam President.

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article275981/

[Ends]