UNSC Presidential Statement on South Sudan Ahead of its Visit
Dear colleagues,
To top off a very busy week in the Council on Sudan/South Sudan, the Council just adopted a strong presidential statement on the situation in South Sudan (Fri 8 Aug) . Please see the full text below. It provides a clear indication of the key messages that the Council will be delivering directly to President Kiir and Dr Machar (via video link) next week when they are in Juba.
Key in this respect is the strongest indicator to date of the Security Council’s willingness to adopt targeted sanctions – together with IGAD and the AU. Apparently the US draft had proposed that the Council “pursue” sanctions, however the Russians asked this to be toned down to an expression of “readiness to consider” targeted sanctions. The language on sanctions that was agreed is : “….expresses its readiness to consider, in consultations with relevant partners, including IGAD and the African Union, all appropriate measures, including targeted sanctions, against those who take action that undermines the peace, stability, and security of South Sudan, including those who prevent the implementation of these agreements.”
The Council’s mission to Africa includes a meeting with the IGAD Mediation in Nairobi, which might allow the two bodies to have a frank discussion about how they can sequence their expressed willingness to adopt sanctions in an effort to achieve some progress with the two parties.
The Council also expressed grave alarm and concern with the political, security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan. Key issues detailed in the statement include:
- Strong condemnation of repeated violations of the ceasefire, as well as violations of humanitarian law and human rights
- Emphasis on the importance of holding accountable those who commit such violations, UNSC looks forward to the AU CoI recommendations
- Request that on GoSS and the SPLM in Opposition honour their commitment to form a transitional government of national unity by 10 August
- Expresses Council’s grave concern with food insecurity in South Sudan, noting that the country may be on the verge of famine, and calls for unfettered humanitarian access.
Also below is a useful background note about the negotiations on the PRST from What’s in Blue.
Best regards
Vanessa Jackson
New York Director
Crisis Action
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PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON SOUTH SUDAN
The Security Council expresses grave alarm and concern regarding the substantial deterioration of the political and security situation and developing humanitarian catastrophe in South Sudan resulting from the internal Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) political dispute and unrelenting violence, including against civilians, caused by the country’s political and military leaders since December 15, 2013.
The Security Council strongly condemns the repeated violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement accepted and signed by the Republic of South Sudan and the SPLM/A (in Opposition) on January 23, 2014, and emphasizes that the actions of President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar in continuing to pursue a military solution to this conflict are unacceptable.
The Security Council urgently calls upon President Salva Kiir, former Vice President Riek Machar and all parties to implement the Agreement to Resolve the Crisis in South Sudan signed on May 9, 2014 by the Republic of South Sudan and the SPLM/A (in Opposition), to engage fully and inclusively in ongoing peace talks in Addis Ababa, and uphold their commitment to establish a Transitional Government of National Unity by the deadline of August 10, 2014, and in this regard, strongly appeals to the parties to finalize appropriate arrangements without further delay, and expresses its readiness to consider, in consultations with relevant partners, including IGAD and the African Union, all appropriate measures, including targeted sanctions, against those who take action that undermines the peace, stability, and security of South Sudan, including those who prevent the implementation of these agreements.
The Security Council strongly condemns reported and ongoing human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving extrajudicial killings, ethnically targeted violence, sexual and gender-based violence, rape, recruitment, and use of children, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention, violence aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population, and attacks on schools and hospitals as well as United Nations peacekeeping personnel, by all parties, including armed groups and national security forces. The Security Council recalls that such acts may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity under international law.
The Security Council emphasizes the need to ensure accountability for serious violations and abuses of human rights and serious violations of international humanitarian law. In that regard, the Security Council underscores the importance of the ongoing work of the AU Commission of Inquiry and looks forward to its findings and recommendations, and welcomes UNMISS efforts to continue to monitor, investigate and publicly report on human rights violations and abuses in pursuit of justice and an end to impunity, as set out in resolution 2155 (2014).
The Security Council underscores its grave concern about the catastrophic food insecurity situation in South Sudan that may soon reach the threshold of famine as a result of continued conflict, civilian targeting, and displacement, stresses the responsibility borne by all parties to the conflict for the suffering of the people of South Sudan and the necessity of ensuring that the basic needs of the population are met, underscores the urgent need to increase funding for humanitarian operations in South Sudan, and encourages UN Member States to contribute funds critically needed now to provide life-saving assistance.
The Security Council condemns all attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities, commends United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners for their efforts to provide urgent and coordinated support to the population, and calls upon all parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, the full, safe and unhindered access of relief personnel, equipment and supplies to all those in need and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance, in particular to internally displaced persons and refugees.
The Security Council renews its deep appreciation for the actions taken by United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) personnel and troop- and police-contributing countries to protect tens of thousands of civilians under threat of physical violence and to stabilize the security situation.
The Security Council commends the IGAD, as supported by the United Nations and African Union, for its relentless work in establishing a forum for political and security dialogue, establishing and operationalizing the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism for the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, and leading multi-stakeholder political negotiations to establish a Transitional Government of National Unity. END
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South Sudan Presidential Statement Sends Message Ahead of Council Mission
The Security Council is expected to issue a presidential statement today (8 August) on the political, security and humanitarian crisis gripping South Sudan. It appears the statement is designed to send a strong message of concern to the government of South Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Opposition in advance of the Council’s upcoming visiting mission to the country. At the press stakeout following a briefing on South Sudan on 6 August, Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant (UK) indicated that Council members would be “engaging with both leaders”-i.e. President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar-during the trip.
On 6 August, the Council held a briefing, followed by consultations, on South Sudan (S/PV.7235). During the briefing, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet gave an alarming assessment of the situation in South Sudan, stating that the country was on the verge of a “humanitarian catastrophe” as fighting has continued. In the ensuing consultations, he added that the talks in Addis Ababa, which just recommenced on 4 August, were on the brink of collapse.
During the consultations, the US, the penholder on South Sudan, said that it would circulate two draft products for consideration following the meeting. One was a draft press statement expressing outrage at attacks that led to the deaths of at least six humanitarian aid workers in Maban County, Upper Nile state, which was issued on 6 August (SC/11512). The other is the draft presidential statement that will be adopted today.
There was broad consensus regarding the main elements of the draft text of the presidential statement, although some minor changes were made based on comments submitted to the penholder electronically, resulting in a slight revision of the language on potential sanctions. The widespread frustration and concern in the Council over the political, security and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan likely allowed for easier consensus on the text. The cessation of hostilities agreements of 23 January, 9 May and 10 June have all been breached. Efforts toward negotiating a transitional government of national unity within 60 days, as agreed on 10 June, do not seem to have made any progress. And more than 1.5 million people have been internally displaced or fled to neighboring countries, with aid agencies warning of a possible famine. Indeed, John Ging, the Director of the Operational Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on 23 July that the humanitarian situation is South Sudan is “very desperate…and something that is on a trajectory to develop into a wholesale catastrophe.” In the statement, the Council expresses grave alarm and concern with the political, security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The statement strongly condemns repeated violations of the ceasefire, as well as violations of humanitarian law and human rights and emphasises the importance of holding accountable those who commit such violations. It also calls on the government of South Sudan and the SPLM in Opposition to honour their commitment to form a transitional government of national unity by 10 August. It further emphasises the Council’s grave concern with food insecurity in South Sudan, noting that the country may be on the verge of famine, and calls for unfettered humanitarian access. These are all likely key messages that will be reinforced during the Council’s visiting mission.
The statement expresses the Council’s preparedness to consider targeted sanctions against those that violate the peace process, giving voice to an issue that has been discussed frequently in Council meetings on South Sudan. This final language is slightly weaker than what existed in the original draft, which would have had the Council expressing its preparedness to “pursue” rather than “consider” such measures, apparently a change requested by the Russian delegation. It seems that implementing targeted measures is a course of action supported by several Council members, although a number of them would prefer if the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) did so first before the Council. If the Council meets with IGAD representatives during their upcoming visiting mission to Africa, they may use the opportunity to have a focused discussion on this issue.
The presidential statement will set the stage for the South Sudan leg of the Council’s visiting mission to Europe and Africa, although it does not directly reference the trip. It nonetheless sends a clear signal regarding the concrete steps the Council would like the parties to take, while expressing deep concern about the crisis engulfing the country and hinting at stronger measures if things do not improve.
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