Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Briefing on Sudan
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
August 9, 2023
AS DELIVERED
I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu for her leadership and Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for her sobering briefing. And while we are grateful for the ASG’s participation, we had expected SRSG Perthes to brief the Council. We now understand that the Sudanese government warned it would end the UN mission in Sudan if the SRSG participated in this briefing. And that is unacceptable.
I do welcome the participation of the Sudan PR and I look forward to hearing his statement on the situation in Sudan, and particularly efforts to end this senseless war. I also want to thank the United Kingdom for calling this important meeting. Ms. Wosornu, you noted in your statement the lack of international coverage of the situation in Sudan, which highlights the importance of having an open briefing like this.
It’s been over 100 days since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and in that time, senseless violence has wrought unthinkable suffering. The situation has become – in the words of a doctor from Khartoum: “a living hell.” A living hell.
Millions of people have been displaced. We heard the numbers today. Civilians have been shot dead in the street. Children have been orphaned, forcibly recruited, subjected to violence. Women have been brutally raped. Fighting has blocked humanitarian assistance – food, water, medicine, and other essentials – from reaching people in dire need.
There are credible reports that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have carried out continued atrocities and other abuses in West Darfur. Killings based on ethnicity. Widespread sexual violence. The burning and looting of homes and villages. Tens of thousands of people forced to flee to neighboring Chad and other countries. History is repeating itself – in the most tragic way possible.
The United States condemns – in the strongest terms – these reported atrocities, which are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led us to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur. And we are gravely concerned about the risk of further conflict in North and Central Darfur. Specifically, by a reported buildup of Rapid Support Forces and affiliated forces near El Fasher, which poses a threat to non-Arab populations in the area. We are also deeply concerned by unconfirmed reports of armed actors in Sudan preventing people from leaving areas of Darfur in search of safety, including across the border into Chad.
Colleagues, as we approach the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we have a responsibility to live up to the promise of this foundational document. To not just extol human rights, but defend them. So we must all demand the parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians.
Of course, the best way to protect civilians would be for parties to end this brutal conflict – once and for all. The United States, and regional and international partners, are unified in calling for the parties to immediately put down their weapons. And we echo the calls of countries in the region, including the July 10th Intergovernmental Authority on Development communique, to prevent any external interference and military support. This would only intensify and prolong the conflict at the expense of the people of Sudan.
We also support coordinated international diplomatic efforts by the AU, the IGAD, the League of Arab States, the UN, and other parties from the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. But until the guns are silenced, and for as long as this humanitarian crisis continues, we must support the people of Sudan, who have endured so much – so much – needless suffering.
The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. We’re working to support the millions of internally displaced people, the nearly one million people who have crossed into neighboring countries to seek refuge.
We must also work together to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach people in dire need including those who can’t leave their homes because of fighting, fuel shortages, and, simply, because of fear. Bureaucratic hurdles and other barriers have hindered relief efforts. That, too, is unacceptable. Humanitarian workers must be free to do what they do best: they save lives. They need to be able to do that without roadblocks or delays.
We call on Sudanese authorities to expedite visa approvals for humanitarian workers – enable the movement of humanitarian goods and personnel throughout Sudan and facilitate the importation of humanitarian goods and equipment.
As the situation in Sudan has spiraled, neighboring countries have stepped up to welcome refugees. And we are deeply, deeply grateful for these acts of humanity. And we must encourage these countries to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to needed protections.
Colleagues, we must work toward a future where Sudan is back on the path of democracy. Sudan’s political future belongs to the Sudanese people. And we support members of civil society, professional and labor unions, resistance committees, women and youth organizations as they heroically work to meet emergency needs, push for peace, resume the stalled democratic transition – so that freedom, peace, and justice in Sudan can be realized.
At this perilous moment, this body must speak out unequivocally – with one voice – in the name of peace. We should never give into forces that want to stop this Council from addressing matters of international peace and security. In the words of the late Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and human rights activist, he said, “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
We must all urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to end the bloodshed and end the suffering of the Sudanese people. There is no acceptable military solution to this conflict. And peace cannot wait another day.
Thank you.
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VIDEO Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN Security Council Stakeout Following a Briefing on Sudan
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
August 9, 2023
AS DELIVERED
So good afternoon, and let me thank all of you for being here. I would like to make a statement in my national capacity.
Today, the Security Council met to discuss a pressing matter of international peace and security: the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu and Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for their sobering briefings this morning.
But as I told the Council just now, while we were grateful for the ASG’s participation, we had expected that SRSG Perthes was going to brief the Council. We now know that the Sudanese government threatened to end the UN Mission in Sudan if the SRSG participated in this briefing. And that was really outrageous, and I did make that point in the Council. No country should be able to bully a briefer into silence, let alone the United Nations.
A conflict that has gone on for over 100 days – and has turned large swaths of Sudan into a living hell. The stories and the images coming out of Sudan, especially out of Darfur, are bone-chilling.
There are credible reports that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have carried out continued atrocities in West Darfur. Killings based on ethnicity. Widespread sexual violence against women. The burning and looting of homes and villages. Women who have been brutally – brutally – raped. Children who have been orphaned, forcibly recruited, subjected to violence.
And I think about children like Essam Muhammad, an 11-year-old who fled Sudan and found his way to a refugee camp in Chad. And according to a Washington Post article, Essam’s mother, Fatima, lost her parents in the 2003 genocide. And 20 years later, Essam’s mother was killed by a sniper in western Darfur. Now, Essam is left to care for his 13-month-old sister.
One of the worst chapters of recent history is repeating itself. And it’s beyond horrifying. The Security Council, and the entire international community, has a responsibility to demand the parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians. We have a responsibility to ensure humanitarian assistance can reach people in dire need. And we have a responsibility to urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately put down their weapons.
At this perilous moment, the Security Council and all Member States must stand on the side of peace, and on the right side of history. Let us do everything in our power to end the bloodshed. Sudan’s political future belongs to the Sudanese people – not to the men with guns who are prolonging human suffering.
And I do call upon all of you to continue to report on this dire situation. One of the briefers said that she was struck by the lack of reporting on what is happening in Sudan. And she commented that not knowing what was happening was very, very worrisome. And that’s why I appreciated the UK calling for this meeting today because it gave us an opportunity to once again bring this situation to the forefront of the news.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: You mentioned specifically what’s happening in Darfur when it comes to ethnic and sexual violence, and that the RSF and the allied militias are to blame. What about in the rest of the country? We heard from the UN that it’s, you know, it’s on a sickening scale. Who’s to blame for all that?
AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It’s all over the country. We have seen this kind of violence being perpetrated by both sides. So, there are no innocents here.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Madam Ambassador. First, just to clarify what you said about Volker Perthes. The ambassador seemed to push back on what you had said. Did the United States receive some kind of a written communication from the foreign ministry and – about this threat –
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: No, this is not the United States –
QUESTION: – I mean the United Nations.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: – this is the United Nations. We were told yesterday that Volker would be briefing the Council. And this morning his name was pulled. And we understand that that happened because the Sudanese government threatened to pull UNITAMS out of Sudan if he briefed the Council. And I spoke directly to him on that. And he told me he was under instructions.
QUESTION: But my – but that wasn’t my – that was a clarification. My question was you said the Security Council has to do something. Is the United States or is somebody going to put forward a resolution, a presidential statement, something –
AMBASSDOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: No, yeah, I didn’t say we needed to do something on this. What I said is that we were appalled by it, it was outrageous, it was unacceptable. And it is. And we did push back. We got a really excellent briefing from the Assistant Secretary-General, but I do think it’s not appropriate for any Member State to block, or to threaten a briefer.
QUESTION: I wasn’t talking about a briefer, I was talking about the whole, the broad situation of what’s going on in Sudan.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Yeah, I do think we absolutely need to be doing something. This is one step in that process – calling this open meeting. And there were objections to us having an open meeting on this. But we were able to have an open meeting, and we will look at what other actions and efforts we might take.
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View original text: https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-by-ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfield-at-the-un-security-council-stakeout-following-a-briefing-on-sudan/
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Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s Interview with Caitríona Perry of BBC World News
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York August 8, 2023
AS DELIVERED
QUESTION: Thanks for joining us, Ambassador. If we can turn first to the situation in Ukraine. We’ve seen Russia striking civilians there while holding a blockade of food exports in the Black Sea. Much-needed food relief for countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, and others. In fact, the situation that the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder in the New York Times called a war zone as relevant to NATO as western Ukraine. Is there any hope for relief in the Black Sea as you see it to restore the grain deal?
AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, I continue to be hopeful. The Secretary-General, the United Nations, Türkiye have been working diligently over the course of the past few weeks to push the Russians and urge the Russians to get back into the grain deal. It is in the interest of the Global South community, it is in our interest, and it is in Russia’s interest to get back into this deal. So, we remain hopeful, but it really is in the hands of the Russians to make the right decision to resume allowing for Ukrainian grain to flow through the Black Sea.
QUESTION: Why do you think it is that the UN Security Council has been unable to get a handle on the ongoing Russian aggression, a clear breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is clearly a breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty. It undermines the very foundation of the UN Charter, the foundation of all the values that we believe in. The Council has been consistent in condemning Russia’s actions. Their actions have been condemned very strongly in the General Assembly. We had more than 140 countries vote to condemn Russia, to condemn their actions in Ukraine, to condemn their annexations, and to call for peace.
And in the Security Council itself, you hear every single country calling on Russia to do the right thing; condemning their actions in Ukraine, their attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty. So, it is really in Russia’s hands to end this war today. They can end the war today. They can return Ukrainian territory to Ukraine and allow for the free flow of wheat to the rest of the world.
QUESTION: But those condemnations as well-meaning and as loud and as frequent as they have not led to any actual action on the part of Russia. How significantly do you think their veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council has hindered the ability to bring about any permanent accomplishments?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, their veto power hasn’t protected them from the condemnation. It has not protected them from the isolation that they are feeling in the Security Council. And we will continue to keep the pressure on Russia until they withdraw their troops from Ukraine. And I know that they are feeling that pressure every single day and we cannot let up until they end this unprovoked war of aggression on the Ukrainian people. President Biden has said over and over again that we will stand with Ukraine as long as Ukraine needs us, and we will.
QUESTION: Now I did see peace talks in Jeddah over the weekend. Although there was no significant resolution at all to come from that. Do you think the UN can broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: I think that a deal can be brokered. It has to have Ukraine’s active participation in that process, and it can’t give Russia their – what I like to refer to their ill begotten wealth – their annexation of Ukrainian territory that they took in this unprovoked war. So right now, efforts are being made. We support efforts to find a path to peace. But Russia has to be a willing participant in that. And in participating, they have to withdraw their troops from Ukraine.
QUESTION: And speaking about the Security Council, the U.S. obviously holds the presidency of that for the month of August. One of your priorities is food insecurity, specifically ending famine forever. What are you asking from other UN nations in terms of achieving that goal?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, we are asking other countries to commit to doing everything possible to end famine. There is no reason for 700 million people to go to bed hungry every single night. There is no need for famine like conditions in the Horn of Africa. We have the resources, we have the tools to end this crisis, and we have to commit to doing it. And I was very pleased that we had 91 countries this past week sign on to a communique demanding that food not be used as a weapon of a war. And the Security Council condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
QUESTION: If we can turn to look at the situation in Niger now, the Acting Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Victoria Nuland visited there on Monday. She described the situation on the ground as not comporting with the constitution. Now officially calling it a coup of course has serious legal implications – not least that most U.S. aid would have to be stopped. But if the Biden Administration considers actions there not to be in line with the constitution and the delegation was physically stopped from seeing the president in person, is that not a coup?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is certainly an attempt at a coup. But we still believe that President Bazoum is the recognized elected leader of Niger. And we will continue to push for his release. We have supported the efforts of ECOWAS. They have also called for his release, and they’ve called for the military to stand down.
QUESTION: But if those present there at the moment are not allowing your delegation to visit with the president, they also have refused a visit from an ECOWAS delegation, that is a very serious situation. How concerned are you about the safety of President Bazoum?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is a serious situation. And we are concerned about his safety. We have stayed engaged with him over the course of his detention. We have spoken with him on the phone several times. I have been in touch with him, as has the Secretary of State and others in the region have reached out to him. And we will keep pushing for his release. ECOWAS will be having a meeting, I think on Thursday, where they will discuss the situation I think more aggressively, talk about how they can find a path forward that will get President Bazoum released.
QUESTION: And specifically, what is the next step that the U.S. can take?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Right now, what we have decided to do is temporarily hold back on all of our support and aid that goes through the Government of Niger. We are still providing direct humanitarian assistance to the people, but we want to be clear that this current effort is not going to be supported by the U.S. government.
QUESTION: Well, thank you for joining us. We’ll leave it there for now. Ambassador Linda Thomas-greenfield, thank you.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you very much, it was great to be here with you.
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By United States Mission to the United Nations | 8 August, 2023 | Topics: Highlights, Remarks and Highlights
View original: https://usun.usmission.gov/ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfields-interview-with-caitriona-perry-of-bbc-world-news/
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