UNSC: Briefing on Cooperation between UN and LAS

"The meeting, which is one of the signature events of the June Council Presidency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be chaired by Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

It appears that Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group at the UN) will participate under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure." Read more.

Report at What's In Blue - securitycouncilreport.org
Dated Wednesday 7 June 2023 - full copy:

Briefing on Cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States

Tomorrow morning (8 June) the Security Council will convene for a briefing on cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS). 

The meeting, which is one of the signature events of the June Council Presidency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be chaired by Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 

The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit; and Dr. Omnia El Omrani, who was the Youth Envoy for the President of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27), held in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2022. 

It appears that Egypt (on behalf of the Arab Group at the UN) will participate under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.

Strengthening partnerships and cooperation with regional and sub-regional organisations—as envisioned in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter—has become an increasingly prominent theme for the Security Council. 

The Council has held annual consultative meetings with the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) since 2007 and has received regular briefings from the EU since 2010. 

It has also held debates and briefings on cooperation with several other bodies, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

In the past decade, LAS representatives have addressed the Council on several occasions, not least due to the proliferation of conflicts in the Arab world. 

In recent years, Arab Council members have featured meetings on the UN-LAS relationship as signature events of their presidencies, including Kuwait in June 2019, Tunisia in January 2021, and the UAE in March 2022. Presidential statements focusing on the relationship between the two organisations were the outcome of these three meetings.

The UAE has circulated a concept note in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting, indicating that the briefing is an opportunity to explore expanding joint efforts to address the interrelated peace, security, and humanitarian challenges facing the Arab region. It poses several questions to help guide the discussion, including:

• How can the Security Council and the LAS enhance their collaboration to promote tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and human fraternity, while aligning their approaches across the peace continuum, from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding?
• What challenges do donor coordination efforts face in the context of emergency humanitarian crises, and how can the UN and the LAS work together to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of aid delivery in such situations?
• How can the contributions of women and young people in peacebuilding be better acknowledged and supported by the Security Council and the LAS? What actions can be taken to improve the meaningful involvement of women and youth in peace and security initiatives in the Arab region?

At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to underscore the contributions of regional organisations to international peace and security. They may reflect on how the UN and the LAS can work together more effectively across the “peace continuum”, ranging from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding. Building on themes discussed in the concept note, members may also speak about cooperation between the UN and the LAS in promoting the rights of women and youth in the region. 

In this regard, some may emphasise the importance of implementing the 2022 “Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls”, including through partnership with UN Women. They might also offer their views on the “Arab Strategy on Youth, Peace and Security”, which is expected to be launched later this year and has been developed with assistance from the UN Liaison Office to the LAS, which was established in 2019 in Cairo. Some members may talk about efforts to combat terrorism in the Arab world, including the Arab regional counter-terrorism strategy adopted in March 2022.

There could also be discussion of the adverse effects of climate change in the region and how to address them. It appears that this issue may be a focus of El Omrani’s briefing. The Council has also recognised the negative impact of climate change and other environmental factors in resolutions on one peace operation in the Middle East, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). In resolution 2682 of 30 May, which most recently renewed UNAMI’s mandate for one year, the Council called on the mission to advise, support, and assist the Iraqi government in facilitating regional dialogue and cooperation on several issues, including the “adverse impacts of climate change in particular those contributing to desertification and drought, resilience building, infrastructure, public health, and refugees”.

There is also likely to be discussion at tomorrow’s meeting of how the UN and the LAS can more effectively address security and humanitarian challenges in several country situations on the Security Council’s agenda. During the 32nd summit of the LAS in Jeddah on 19 May, the participants referred to several of these situations when they issued the “Jeddah Declaration”, which:

• stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian issue;
• expressed deep concern at the ramifications of the crisis in Sudan for the security, safety, and stability of LAS countries and people;
• welcomed the decision of the Arab League Council to resume the participation of Syria in LAS meetings; and
• advocated for the ongoing UN and regional efforts to come up with a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Yemen.

Council members have traditionally held contrasting views about how to approach many of the peace and security challenges in the Arab world. This is illustrated by the frequent vetoes cast over the years by the US and Russia on resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Syria, respectively. In recent months, while some Council members—such as Russia and the UAE—have supported efforts to normalise relations with Syria, others, including the UK and the US, have remained sceptical.

Original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/06/briefing-on-cooperation-between-the-un-and-the-league-of-arab-states.php

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World's spy chiefs hold secret meeting in Singapore

THIS report explains an inexplicable huge spike in traffic from Singapore to Sudan Watch. Stats show visits by country only, not the identity of visitors.

Report at Ahram Online 

Based on a Reuters report
Dated Sunday 4 June 2023 - full copy:

World's spy chiefs hold secret meet In Singapore: Reuters

High-ranking intelligence officials from several countries convened on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend, Reuters reported citing five sources.

File photo: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, right, speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. AP

Such meetings are organised by the Singapore government and have been discreetly held at a separate venue alongside the security summit for several years, Reuters sources said.

"The meetings have not been previously reported,” the report said.

High-ranking intelligence officials from the U.S. and China were, among other representatives, present at the meeting despite soaring tensions between the two superpowers.

US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines -- the head of her country's intelligence community -- attended the meeting, Reuters reported.

According to the report, "no Russian representative was present".

"The meeting is an important fixture on the international shadow agenda. Given the range of countries involved, it is not a festival of tradecraft, but rather a way of promoting a deeper understanding of intentions and bottom lines,” the report said, quoting one person with knowledge of the discussions.

"There is an unspoken code among intelligence services that they can talk when more formal and open diplomacy is harder - it is a very important factor during times of tension, and the Singapore event helps promote that,” it mentioned.

All five sources who discussed the meetings declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, Reuters revealed, adding that the meetings have not been previously reported.

Related

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NATO debates 'security guarantees' for Ukraine

View original: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/502270.aspx

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UN chief Guterres: “With international cooperation and solidarity, this can be Africa’s century”

Stand with Africa: Guterres

Meanwhile, UN chief António Guterres noted that cooperation and solidarity to advance the continent’s future is more needed than ever.

“I look forward to African governments continuing to seize the opportunities presented by the continent’s natural, human, and entrepreneurial richness, by working to increase private investment and raise resources at home,” he said in his message for Africa Day.

The annual commemoration May celebrates the founding of the Organization of African Union, the African Union precursor, on 25 May 1963.

The Secretary-General urged the international community to stand with Africa as multiple rises – from COVID-19 to climate and conflict – continue to cause great suffering there.

He further stated that African countries are underrepresented in global governance institutions, such as the UN Security Council, and denied the debt relief and concessional funding they need.

“Africa deserves peace, justice and international solidarity,” he said.  “With international cooperation and solidarity, this can be Africa’s century.” 

Read full story at UN News report 25 May 2023:

Security Council urged to step up on financing for AU peace operations

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1137047

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UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa: Financing of AU-led peace support operations

THIS part of the below copied report sounds good, let's hope it becomes a reality in time to help Sudan where there is no time to waste: "in his remarks at the 36th AU Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he “wholeheartedly support[s] the creation of a new generation of robust peace-enforcement missions and counter-terrorist operations, led by the African Union with a Security Council mandate under Chapter VII and with guaranteed, predictable funding, including through assessed contributions”. 

Report at What's In Blue

Dated Wednesday 24 May 2023 - full copy (SW Ed: beige highlight is mine):

Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa

Tomorrow morning (25 May), the Security Council will hold a briefing on peace and security in Africa. 

Switzerland, May’s Council President, is convening the meeting at the request of the A3 members (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique) to discuss the Secretary-General’s report on the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations (AUPSOs), which was issued on 1 May. 

The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye; and Bitania Tadesse, Programme Director at Amani Africa, a think tank based in Addis Ababa that provides research and analysis on the work of the AU and its Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).

Tomorrow’s meeting builds on the momentum in the Security Council since July 2021 around the option of financing AUPSOs from UN assessed contributions. This has been a longstanding issue in the relationship between the UN and the AU in general, and between the UN Security Council and the AUPSC in particular, since 2007. 

Over the years, Council discussion on the issue has evolved, as Council members have increasingly acknowledged the AU’s proactive role on matters of peace and security in Africa, including its enhanced capacity to respond expeditiously to conflict and crises on the continent. 

Nonetheless, some Council members have strongly opposed adopting a product that would provide a clear commitment from the Council to finance AUPSOs from UN assessed contributions, as was the case with the draft resolution proposed in 2018 by then-Council members Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and Equatorial Guinea. Among the complications that underlie AU access to UN assessed contributions are questions relating to the adherence of AUPSOs to accountability and compliance frameworks and to burden-sharing with the AU.

The year 2023 appears to be crucial for advancing the discussion on financing of AUPSOs. In a 12 May communiqué, the AUPSC requested the Security Council’s A3 members to “resume consultations with the relevant stakeholders towards the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution” on financing AUPSOs through UN assessed contributions. The US, which opposed the 2018 draft resolution, now appears more amenable to a serious discussion on the matter. (For more information, see our 26 April research report titled “the Financing of AU Peace Support Operations: Prospects for Progress in the Security Council?”.)

The Secretary-General’s 1 May report was submitted pursuant to a presidential statement (S/PRST/2022/6), adopted by the Security Council following a debate on peace and security in Africa held during China’s August 2022 Council presidency, which requested the Secretary-General to provide the Council, by 30 April 2023, a report on progress made by the UN and the AU to fulfil the commitments set out in resolution 2320 of 18 November 2016 on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, and resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017 on peacekeeping reform. (For background, see our 30 August 2022 What’s in Blue story.)

At tomorrow’s meeting, DiCarlo is expected to brief on the main findings of the 1 May report, which builds on previous relevant reports submitted by the Secretary-General, particularly his May 2017 report on options for authorisation and support for AUPSOs. She might note that, in line with the commitments outlined in resolutions 2320 and 2378, there has been progress since 2017 in the development of the AU Compliance Framework (AUCF) for AUPSOs, which aims to ensure adherence to international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and UN conduct and discipline standards to prevent and combat impunity for sexual exploitation and abuse. DiCarlo may highlight the support provided by the UN and other partners—such as the EU—in developing the AUCF, while underscoring the need to achieve further progress for the AU to attain the highest standards of compliance.

The Secretary-General’s report also provides updates on progress in the operationalisation of the AU Peace Fund, established in 2002 to finance the AU’s peace and security activities, which by February 2023 had mobilised $337 million. 

Bankole may explain the AU’s recent decisions to provide support through the AU Peace Fund’s Crisis Reserve Facility (CRF) to the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which is facing a budget shortfall, and the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), which has deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). At a 12 May meeting, the AUPSC decided to increase the CRF’s ceiling from $5 million to $10 million to address pressing peace and security issues on the continent.

Bankole may highlight key aspects of the Consensus Paper on Predictable, Adequate, and Sustainable Financing for AU Peace and Security Activities, which was adopted by the 36th AU summit in February. 

The paper, among other things, expounded on the AU’s 2015 decision to finance 25 percent of its peace support operations budget. This decision created the impression that the organisation is committed to sharing the burden of future AUPSOs that will be mandated and authorised by the Security Council, under the assumption that these operations will be granted access to partial funding from UN assessed contributions. According to the paper, however, that amount represents 25 percent of the AU annual budget to support the organisation’s overall peace and security efforts in Africa, that include, but are not limited to, peace support operations. It seems that the Secretary-General’s report tried to avoid the issue of burden-sharing by arguing that “the option of using United Nations assessed contributions to finance, at least in part, the budget of an African Union managed mission is one that remains largely aspirational given the need for guidance from the General Assembly”.

In its August 2022 presidential statement, the Security Council also requested the Secretary-General to provide recommendations on the financing of AUPSOs that reflect good practices and lessons learned from past experiences. Tomorrow, DiCarlo may refer to the experience gleaned from support provided by the UN to the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) through the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); the experience of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the joint UN-AU review on this unique hybrid mission; and the case of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which transitioned into the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in 2022, as well as the UN’s provision of a logistical support package through the UN Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) that later transitioned into the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). DiCarlo may stress the need for the Security Council to take into account the challenges and achievements of these experiences in its future decisions on the financing of AUPSOs.

One of the contentious issues during past discussions on the financing of AUPSOs was the role of regional mechanisms and their eligibility for access to financing from UN assessed contributions. The AU Consensus Paper argues that regional mechanisms, which are viewed as the building blocks of the AU, should benefit from such arrangements as first responders to conflict and crises in their respective regions. 

This corresponds with the growing calls by African countries and regions for robust regional and international engagement to address the serious security threats posed by terrorists and other armed groups on the continent. In his remarks at the 36th AU Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he “wholeheartedly support[s] the creation of a new generation of robust peace-enforcement missions and counter-terrorist operations, led by the African Union with a Security Council mandate under Chapter VII and with guaranteed, predictable funding, including through assessed contributions”. This is particularly relevant to the West Africa and Sahel region, which has been facing serious security challenges.

In his 1 May report, the Secretary-General presented a refined version of the joint planning and mandating process for authorising AUPSOs, which was originally outlined in his May 2017 report. This process now involves not only the AU but also the regional mechanisms, based on the recognition that some regional forces later transition into an AUPSO and then into a UN peacekeeping operation. The refined process, therefore, intends to give regional mechanisms an entry point in case they eventually seek UN financing when they decide to deploy a force, which means that they will have to notify the Security Council in advance and involve the UN in the planning process from the outset.

The Secretary-General has already outlined in 2017 various options for the financing of AUPSOs, which include a subvention in exceptional emergency situations, joint financing of a jointly developed budget, establishment of a UN support office, or joint financing of a hybrid mission. 

As stated in the AU Consensus Paper and the Secretary-General’s 1 May report, both the AU and the UN are of the view that two of these options—hybrid missions and a UN support office—are more feasible and provide predictable and sustainable financing for AUPSOs. 

Lessons learned from the experience of UNAMID indicate that hybrid missions require an alignment of political engagement and a budget that covers the mission’s entire financial requirements. 

Therefore, the Secretary-General’s report seems to lean towards the UN support office option, which is considered flexible and practical in tailoring support to AUPSOs in accordance with specific needs and circumstances, while emphasising that this option should be implemented as part of a coherent political strategy.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/05/briefing-peace-and-security-in-africa.php

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IGAD: Burhan and Hemeti will be held accountable

Report from radiotamazuj.org

Dated Wednesday 17 May 2023 - full copy:

IGAD says belligerent Sudanese generals will be held accountable

IGAD’Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu (L) and South Sudanese Acting Foreign Minister Deng Dau (R) addressing the press in Juba. (Photo: Radio Tamazuj)

(JUBA CITY) - The regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), on Wednesday, warned that the warring rival generals superintending the fighting in Sudan will be held responsible for ensuring crimes.

Clashes erupted on 15 April in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other parts of the country between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) loyal to Gen. Abdel Fataah al-Burhan who is also the country’s de facto leader and his deputy in the sovereign council and leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as a result of a power struggle.

The warning follows talks in Juba between Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD’s Executive Secretary, and South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at the Juba State House after the talks, Dr. Gebeyehu said the warring parties in Sudan will be held accountable.

“We are working with the International community, United Nations Security Council and African Union, and IGAD as a regional organization that clearly says that all parties are responsible for any atrocities which are going to happen in that country,” he said.

He said history will judge the leaders unless they stop the fighting.

“Also, we stress that they have the responsibility as a citizen of that country and as leaders of that country,” Dr. Gebeyehu said. “History will judge that tomorrow unless otherwise, they decided today to stop this thing. We are working in terms of accountability while we are pushing to bring these parties to the table of discussion.”

Meanwhile, South Sudan's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Dayu Dend said IGAD is ready to position all the efforts of its member states to help Sudan end the conflict.

“IGAD is very focused on the issue of cessation of hostilities, on the issue of stopping the current situation in Khartoum and other places and IGAD is ready to position all the efforts of IGAD countries to help this member state,” he said. “This is why the IGAD’s executive secretary has to come personally to meet with His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit.”

In a virtual meeting held on April 16, the IGAD heads of state decided to send the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti to Khartoum to engage the two belligerent leaders to resume talks about security and military reforms in Sudan.

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/igad-says-belligerent-sudanese-generals-will-be-held-accountable

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UN Human Rights Council votes on monitoring of rights abuses in Sudan: 18 Yes; 15 No; 14 Abstain.

🔴BREAKING

The @UN Human Rights Council decided that the mandate of the designated Expert on #Sudan should include detailed monitoring & documentation of all alleged human rights violations & abuses since 25 October 2021 including those arising directly from the current conflict pic.twitter.com/tFh2ezJhto

— UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) May 11, 2023

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I watched this meeting while it was streamed live and was shocked by the poor attitudes and unprofessional behaviour (mainly by women) of most attendees. The audio was so low I could barely hear what some countries were saying. Camera panned in on a woman mindlessly chewing gum, oblivious to her surroundings, head down low while using her mobile phone. Many acted indifferent and bored like they didn't want to be there. The majority seemed too young and immature to appreciate what they were doing there or understand the magnitude of why they were there.

The live streamed audio was left on during breaks in the meeting that was held in tandem with the one on Sudan at the UN Security Council in New York along with an AU meeting on same day. Forgetting themselves and the cameras, groups chatted loudly and laughed like hyenas, women cackled loudly aloud, they all sounded like happy guests at an enjoyable wedding party. It was disgusting to see and hear.

South Africa's speech on why it was abstaining felt like a kick in the teeth and to crown it all not one African country voted for the detailed monitoring of human rights abuses in Sudan.

All attendees from what I saw (except Finland, a woman who gave a professional performance and heartfelt speech) should be sacked and have their expenses unpaid for bad performance. I can't imagine the cost of that meeting. Also, whoever was in charge of conveying audio translations onto the live stream should be investigated because it seemed apparent political games were in play. It felt like the onlookers and taxpayers footing the bill for humanitarian crises were treated as inconsequential fools. The Chairman was excellent, came across loud and clear. A translation of China's speech was whispered so low it was impossible to hear.

Not long after, news emerged of a war of words between the US and South Africa because South Africa is providing military equipment and weapons to Russia to help decimate Ukraine where unspeakable horrors are occurring.

From what I can gather, and I was shocked to learn of this now for the first time: South Africa has supported Russia ever since Russia supported South Africa during apartheid.

Note that some of the first African Union peacekeeping soldiers in Sudan at a most dangerous time in Darfur were from South Africa's excellent SANDF [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_National_Defence_Force ]. Now I'm wondering if that is why, after much arm twisting Sudan's President Bashir allowed peacekeepers on the ground in Darfur at that time.

I'm hopping mad at everything right now.

Photo source: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/05/12/goede-vrienden-arresteer-je-niet-toch-a4164533:You don't arrest good friends. Nevertheless? The debate in South Africa If Putin wants to go to the BRICS summit, South Africa must pick him up. But that's just not possible, says Africa editor Jamila Meischke.

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UN Security Council meets today to discuss Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed: The UK, penholder on Sudan at UN Security Council, requested a meeting of the Council to be held today (11 May) to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian and security situations in Sudan.

Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths are expected to brief.

In this report from What's In Blue, the yellow highlighting is mine for easy future reference. Hopefully, the Council members will agree on the "product" needed in response to the escalating violence in Sudan.

Report from What's In Blue 

Dated Thursday 11 May 2023 - full copy:

Sudan: Closed Consultations

This morning (11 May), following the briefing on the ICC’s Libya-related activities, Security Council members will hold closed consultations on Sudan. 

The UK, the penholder on the file, requested the meeting to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian and security situations in the country, in light of the 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. Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths are expected to brief.

Council members last met to discuss the situation in Sudan on 25 April, when the Council convened for an open briefing at the request of the UK. Secretary-General António Guterres, Perthes, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya, and Permanent Observer of the AU to the UN Fatima Kyari Mohammed briefed. In his remarks, Guterres said that the power struggle in Sudan is not only jeopardising the country’s future but is also “lighting a fuse that could detonate across borders, causing immense suffering for years and setting development back by decades”. He called on Council members, the wider UN membership, and regional organisations with influence to press the Sudanese leaders to de-escalate tensions. (For background, see our 25 April What’s in Blue story.)

Fighting has continued in and around Khartoum despite repeated calls by regional and international actors for a ceasefire. According to a 6 May OCHA flash update, at least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 injured since the outbreak of hostilities. Additionally, more than two-thirds of hospitals across Sudan are not functional because of direct attacks, occupation by the warring parties, as well as lack of electricity, water supply, fuel, or medicine.

Perthes is likely to update members on political developments in Sudan, as well as on the various ongoing regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis. On 2 May, the AU Commission (the regional organisation’s secretariat) held a follow-up meeting to its 20 April special ministerial session on Sudan. Among other matters, the meeting focused on identifying priorities, strengthening the unity of the international community, promoting a ceasefire agreement, and advancing efforts to return to a democratic, inclusive, and civilian transition.

In a 2 May press release, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the warring Sudanese parties had agreed to a seven-day truce starting on 4 May, and to name their representatives for talks led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), under the leadership of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit in Juba. The seven-day truce was reportedly not observed by the parties and, at the time of writing, only al-Burhan has named his representative for the IGAD-facilitated talks. 

On 8 May, Kiir held a meeting with al-Burhan’s special envoy, Dafallah al-Haj Ali, in Juba, during which Ali reportedly affirmed the primacy of IGAD in mediation efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict. 

On 10 May, Kiir met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Juba. According to a press statement released following the meeting, both leaders discussed “proposed modalities to merge the many different processes, forums and efforts into meaningful ceasefire” to end the ongoing conflict.

On 6 May, Saudi-US facilitated talks between representatives of the warring parties began in Jeddah. In a 7 May statement, Saudi Arabia and the US urged the parties to earnestly engage in the talks, with the aim of “achieving an effective short-term ceasefire, facilitating the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services, and scheduling subsequent expanded negotiations to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities”. The statement added that the parties began to review a proposed “Declaration of Commitment to Protect Civilians and facilitate and respect Humanitarian Action in Sudan”.

In an 8 May interview with an Egyptian media outlet, al-Burhan reportedly expressed support for a political solution to the ongoing conflict but emphasised that the withdrawal of RSF forces from residential areas and public facilities in Khartoum is a pre-condition. Speaking about the ongoing talks in Jeddah, he added that discussions about a lasting settlement could take place only after a permanent ceasefire is achieved in Khartoum.

On 7 May, the League of Arab States (LAS) convened an emergency ministerial-level meeting of its Executive Council in Cairo to discuss the situation in Sudan, during which it adopted a resolution stressing the need to respect the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan. The resolution called for protecting Sudanese state institutions and preventing any “foreign interference” that could destabilise regional peace and security. It also established a contact group on Sudan, consisting of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Among other things, the contact group is mandated to communicate with the Sudanese parties, regional and international partners, and international organisations with the aim of reaching a settlement; undertake efforts to reach a complete and sustainable ceasefire; address the underlying drivers of conflict; and coordinate with humanitarian relief agencies to provide assistance and medical aid.

At today’s meeting, Griffiths is likely to brief about his recent visit to Port Sudan on 3 May, where he met Perthes and the heads of several humanitarian agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In a press briefing during the visit, Griffiths noted that he is working to have clear and public commitments from the warring parties about protecting humanitarian assistance and allowing the delivery of aid. In this regard, he stressed the “need to have agreements at the highest level and…deliver those commitments into local arrangements”. Griffiths added that he hopes to meet SAF and RSF leaders, separately, in person, to explain to them the humanitarian requirements based on the discussions with the UN and other humanitarian agencies.

In a 9 May press briefing, OCHA Spokesperson Eri Kaneko noted that Griffiths was also present in Jeddah to engage with relevant parties and countries with influence to secure security guarantees for the UN and other humanitarian actors for the delivery of aid across various parts of the country. She added that prior to that, Griffiths also held phone calls with SAF and RSF leaders, in which he stressed the importance of developing safe corridors for the delivery of aid. At today’s meeting, Council members may wish to learn more about the scale and reach of OCHA’s operations and engagement with the respective parties for ensuring the safety and security of the humanitarian personnel and facilities.

Some Council members are expected to express concern about attacks against civilian infrastructure and the looting of humanitarian facilities in Sudan. On 9 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it had verified 28 attacks against healthcare facilities since 15 April, which resulted in eight deaths and 18 injuries. In a tweet on the same day, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain noted that nearly 25 percent of the WFP food stock has been stolen and that the organisation’s offices in the country have been looted.

Another likely issue of concern for Council members is the internal displacement of civilians and influx of refugees into Sudan’s neighbouring states. A 9 May IOM Sudan situation report noted that, since 15 April, almost 736,223 people have been displaced internally across Sudan, 13.8 percent of whom are foreign nationals. It added that approximately 177,116 individuals have sought refuge in neighbouring states, mainly in the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

It appears that Council members continue to have diverging views on whether a Security Council product is needed in response to the escalation of violence in Sudan. Council members apparently failed to adopt a draft press statement that was proposed by the UK following the AU Commission’s 20 April ministerial meeting because of opposition from the A3 members of the Council (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique). The A3 apparently argued that adopting a Council product could lead to duplicate messaging and create complications at a delicate time. It seems that China and Russia supported this position. 

Apparently, during Council members’ 25 April closed consultations on Sudan, the UK, with support from other Council members, again called for a press statement. However, this proposal did not garner consensus after the A3 members, followed by China and Russia, reiterated their objection to a product.

Tags: Insights on Africa, Sudan

View original:

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/05/sudan-closed-consultations.php

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Thousands flee Khartoum Sudan. “There is no chance of putting a lid on this now, none whatsoever”

NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed: In this report Cameron Hudson, an expert in US-Africa policy, puts the Sudan fight in a nutshell by saying (and I couldn't agree more) “There is no chance of putting a lid on this now, none whatsoever”. I say, Burhan and Hemeti will only stop if arrested or dead.

Report from The Guardian

By Jason Burke , Zeinab Mohammed Salih in Khartoum and Kaamil Ahmed

Monday 24 April 2023 18.49 BST UK

Last modified on Mon 24 Apr 2023 20.39 BST

Sudan: thousands flee Khartoum as civilian casualties escalate

Lack of supplies and rising prices add to perilous journey by road to Egyptian border and Port Sudan

Thousands more residents of Khartoum fled the Sudanese capital on Monday, risking long, dangerous journeys to escape continued street battles and murderous airstrikes that continue to cause significant civilian casualties.

Some headed north by road to the Egyptian border in packed buses, many with towering piles of luggage strapped to them. Others drove north-east to Port Sudan. Both journeys involved up to 24 hours of driving, with increasing reports of robbery of vehicles.

Many in Khartoum fear that rival factions fighting for control of the city will intensify their power struggle when the evacuations of foreign citizens have finished. The latest ceasefire, which brought almost no reduction in fighting, was due to run out Monday evening.

IMAGE MAP: Overland routes to flee the fighting in Sudan 

1. Egypt

Witnesses say buses carrying hundreds of people have been lining up at the remote Arqin border crossing

 

2. Port Sudan

There have been long convoys on the road from Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, from where people have left Sudan by air and sea

 

3. Ethiopia

Hundreds of people have arrived in the Ethiopian

town of Metema Yohannes near the Sudan border, the local mayor said on Monday

 

4. South Sudan

Officials in Renk County said on Monday they had received about 10,000 people since the crisis started

 

5. Chad

The UN says 10,000-20,000 people have fled fighting in Darfur region to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad in recent weeks

Guardian graphic

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned a session of the security council in New York that the violence “risks a catastrophic conflagration … that could engulf the whole region and beyond”. He urged the 15 council members to work to end the violence.

“We must all do everything within our power to pull Sudan back from the edge of the abyss … We stand with them at this terrible time,” he said, adding he had authorised the temporary relocation of some UN personnel and families.

Throughout the day, convoys of foreign diplomats, as well as teachers, students, workers and families from dozens of countries wound past combatants at tense frontlines in Khartoum to reach extraction points. A stream of European, Middle Eastern, African and Asian military aircraft flew in all day Sunday and Monday to ferry some of them out.

The violence in Sudan has pitted army units loyal to its military ruler, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Few now believe that it is possible to bring the combatants to the negotiating table.

“There is no chance of putting a lid on this now, none whatsoever,” said Cameron Hudson, an expert in US-Africa policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Many in Khartoum have now been trapped in their homes for nine days. The prices of increasingly rare food and fuel are soaring, electricity is patchy and internet rarely working. In many neighbourhoods, armed fighters are looting shops and homes.

Residents of Khartoum on Monday reported sporadic explosions, gunfire and airstrikes, including one in the neighbouring city of Omdurman that killed a reported five people and injured about 50. 

Shelling of Khartoum’s Kalakla district continued for an hour until the area was “razed to the ground”, said Attiya Abdulla Atiya, secretary of the Sudan Doctors Syndicate. The bombardment sent dozens of wounded to the Turkish hospital, one of the few medical facilities still functioning in the city, he said.

Abou-Obaida Abashar, a 33-year-old banker, fled his family house in the al-Fetihab neighbourhood after an airstrike hit his house and that of his neighbours.

“A plane was trying to hit 15 to 16 RSF vehicles in the area, but I am not sure if they meant to hit the houses or that came by accident, but it terrified everybody and it made us all run, some with only the clothes that they were wearing, they even didn’t take anything with them. The area has been emptied now,” Abashar said.

Those without the funds to pay for transport to Egypt or Port Sudan headed out of the city to relatively calmer provinces along the Nile north and south of Khartoum. Many more were trapped, with limited cash and transport costs spiralling.

“Travelling out of Khartoum has become a luxury,” said Shahin al-Sherif, a 27-year-old high school teacher hoping to arrange transport out of Khartoum for himself, his younger sister, mother, aunt and grandmother. The family had been trapped for days in their home in Khartoum’s Amarat neighbourhood while fighting raged outside before managing to move to a safer district farther out.

But al-Sherif expects things to get worse and is worried his sister, aunt and grandmother, all diabetic, will not be able to get the supplies they need. Bus ticket prices have more than quadrupled so renting a bus for 50 people to get to the Egyptian border costs about $14,000, he said.

Some Sudanese people have expressed anger that western countries have seemingly prioritised evacuating their people over trying to stop the fighting.

With a series of ceasefires failing to hold, the confirmed death toll in Sudan has now passed 420, including 264 civilians, and more than 3,700 people have been wounded, according to local and international NGOs. However, most analysts believe the true total of fatalities and injuries in more than nine days of fighting is much higher.

The US has warned of shortages of vital medicines, food and water in Sudan and deployed disaster response experts to the region.

Samantha Power, the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), painted a grim picture of the reality on the ground.

“Fighting … has claimed hundreds of lives, injured thousands, and yet again dashed the democratic aspirations of Sudanese people. Civilians trapped in their homes cannot access desperately needed medicines, and face the prospect of protracted power, water and food shortages,” Power said.

“All of this suffering compounds an already dire situation: one-third of Sudan’s population, nearly 16 million people, already needed humanitarian assistance to meet basic human needs before this outbreak of violence.”

The World Health Organization has verified 11 attacks on healthcare facilities since the start of the conflict, with the remaining sites in Khartoum and the south-western Darfur states facing an acute lack of supplies amid increasing needs. Emergency medical supplies that had been pre positioned are now running out, the WHO said.

Internet and phone services appeared to have collapsed across much of country. Medicine, fuel and food were scarce in much of Khartoum, while a combination of fighting and looting made leaving home to search for essential provisions dangerous.

The communications blackout has starved those still in the conflict areas of up-to-date information on the fighting and left their families abroad uncertain about their safety, with international calls also failing to connect. The few in Sudan with internet access have offered on social media to make local phone calls on behalf of those abroad.

Maryam, a Sudanese student in the United Arab Emirates who did not want to use her real name for her family’s safety, said she lost contact with her family on Sunday as they were on a bus heading from Khartoum to the Egyptian border.

When she managed to finally get through on Monday afternoon, her family were waiting to cross over to Egypt. Their bus had broken down several times on the journey, during which the driver decided to raise the price and threatened to offload anyone who could not pay.

“The last we’d heard from them they’d been about an hour from the border headed towards the Aswan border. Most of my family – including my sister, her kids and husband, some aunts, uncles and cousins – were on the bus together,” Maryam said.

The Sudanese army has blamed the outages on the RSF damaging infrastructure.

VIDEO: Sudan: evacuees brave 'risky' travel as fighting intensifies – video report

View original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/24/sudan-thousands-flee-khartoum-as-civilian-casualties-escalate

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Sudan news round-up by Guardian Mon 24 Apr 2023

UN staff are evacuated from Port Sudan. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

From The Guardian, UK

A roundup of today’s news from The Guardian LIVE reporting

By Harry Taylor Monday 24 April 2023 18:54 BST UK

Summary

The time is approaching 8pm in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, which has been the site of fierce fighting which has led to a mass exodus and evacuation effort from the north-eastern African country.

Gun fire has been heard in Khartoum as fighting continues between the Rapid Support Force, a paramilitary group who follows the former warlord Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also known as Hemedti, and the Sudanese army forces loyal to Abdulfatah al-Burhan, the current de facto leader of Sudan.

Here is a roundup of today’s news.

A British RAF plane has landed at port city in the north-east of Sudan as a British minister said that the UK is evaluating further military options for rescuing non-diplomats from the country by land, sea and air. 

A C17 Globemaster is on the ground at Port Sudan with some troops who may form part of a second rescue organised by the UK following Sunday’s controversial evacuation of British diplomats from the capital, Khartoum, but not other UK nationals. 

The head of the UN António Guterres has warned that the situation could engulf the whole region and that Sudan stands on the “abyss”. He said: “Let me be clear: the United Nations is not leaving Sudan. Our commitment is to the Sudanese people, in support of their wishes for a peaceful and secure future. We stand with them at this terrible time. We must all do everything within our power to pull Sudan back from the edge of the abyss.” 

The French embassy in Khartoum will be closed until further notice. France has airlifted 491 people from 36 countries, including 12 EU nations, to Djibouti since Sunday, according to the ministry, Agence France Presse (AFP) reports. It has also sent a warship as part of the rescue effort. 

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has raised concerns about the Russian mercenary force, the Wagner group, operating in Sudan. Wagner, who were founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, have been heavily engaged in the conflict in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. There is now a suggestion the group is active in Sudan. He told a press conference: “We do have deep concern about the engagement of the Prigozhin group – the Wagner group – in Sudan.” 

Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has said that the country has been able to fly more than 300 people out of Sudan. 

The US is pushing for a ceasefire between the two warring factions in Sudan to be broadened to help bring the conflict to an end. Secretary of state Antony Blinken told a news conference that was talking “directly” with military leaders. Israel has offered to host ceasefire talks. 

The British ambassador to Sudan was on holiday when fighting broke out in the country’s capital Khartoum, according to a report in the Times of London.

That’s all from me today. I will be handing over to my colleague Gloria Oladipo.

This photograph from the Etat Major des Armees (French defence staff) shows French military personnel at French military airbase in Djibouti before they fly for Khartoum during the "Sagittaire" evacuation of about 100 people from Sudan on the first French flight out of the war-hit country after a "complicated" rescue operation.  Photo: Adj Laure-Anne Maucorps Ep Derri/Etat Major des Armées/AFP/Getty Images

Evacuees from Sudan arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Photograph: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

View the Guardian's Live Reporting here or here.

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