Sudan

June 20, 2022: AS DELIVERED Thank you, Madam President. Thank you SRSG Haysom, Ms. Mudawi for your comprehensive briefings today. SRSG Haysom, thank you for raising the possibility of a Council visit to Juba, which my delegation will consider. But in the meantime, we look forward to the sanctions panel visiting Juba by the end of the year. Thank you, Ms. Mudawi, for your messages to the Council which we will give great consideration to. And I want to thank and appreciate in particular, Ms. Merekaje for sharing her insights and her very important recommendations with this Council. Thank you. The United States finds itself once again deeply disturbed to hear about another incident of brutal violence impacting civilians in South Sudan, including women and children. We are particularly appalled by the horrific crimes in Leer County, Unity state, where – as we heard – earlier this year, armed youth from Koch and Mayendit counties reportedly under orders from County Commissioner Koang Biel and Mayendit County Commissioner Gatluak Nyang killed 72 civilians, raped over 60 women and girls, and assaulted humanitarian workers. We learned from the UNMISS press statement on April 25 that some civilians were burned alive, while others – including a child – were beheaded. Two survivors of sexual violence recounted being raped and gang-raped repeatedly. Horrifically, these incidents of gender-based violence are all too common – and continue to increase in South Sudan with impunity. According to recent UNMISS reports, the incidence of conflict-related sexual violence in the first quarter of this year increased – increased by 125 percent compared to the same timeframe last year. My delegation wants to be clear: those involved in planning, directing, or committing any acts involving sexual and gender-based violence can be subject to UN sanctions. The two permanent Member States – China and Russia – that routinely block sanctions nominations, place unwarranted holds or blocks on …

June 4, 2022: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee will travel to Sudan from June 5-9. Assistant Secretary Phee’s visit is in support of the Sudanese-led process to resolve the crisis following the October 2021 military takeover. The process is facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), African Union (AU), and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). While in Sudan, Assistant Secretary Phee will meet with a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders and political actors and urge them to seize the opportunity offered by the UN-AU-IGAD-facilitated process to restore the transition to democracy and economic stability, and to advance peace. The United States is committed to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Assistant Secretary Phee’s Travel to Sudan Submission Details Author: Africa Media from The Africa Regional Media Hub. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact The Africa Regional Media Hub Facebook: Twitter: …

June 3, 2022: AS DELIVERED The United States welcomes the adoption of the UNITAMS mandate renewal, starting another year for UNITAMS to support Sudan’s democratic transition. We voted for this mandate renewal to ensure the valuable work of UNITAMS to support the security and stability of Sudan continues, such as the ongoing Sudanese-led dialogue which is facilitated by UNITAMS, the AU, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa. Rapid progress on this dialogue is critical to restore a civilian-led transitional government. We strongly encourage all Sudanese civilian and military actors to engage. We continue to stand with the people of Sudan in their pursuit of a democratic and prosperous nation, and call on security forces to end the use of violence against protestors and respect human rights. Thank you, Madam President. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis Following the Mandate Renewal of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS) Submission Details Author: Africa Media from The Africa Regional Media Hub. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact The Africa Regional Media Hub Facebook: Twitter: …

May 24, 2022; AS DELIVERED I will now make a statement in my capacity as the Representative of the United States. First, thank you, SRSG Perthes for your comprehensive briefing. We commend the efforts by you and your team supporting the people of Sudan and their aspirations to restore a civilian-led transition to democracy. Also, let me take a minute to welcome to new permanent representative of Sudan to the Security Council; Ambassador Mohammed, you are very, very welcome. The United States fully supports the renewal of UNITAMS’ mandate so the mission can continue to serve its vital role in furthering peace, security, and stability. Today, I would like to discuss three key issues for the United States in Sudan: the transition to democracy, the release of political prisoners, and support to the Sudanese people. First, the United States is closely following and fully supports the collaborative efforts of UNITAMS, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development to facilitate a Sudanese-led process to transition to a fully civilian-led democracy. We strongly encourage the Sudanese people – civilians and military personnel alike – to use this process to make rapid progress on the framework for a civilian-led transitional government. We are encouraged by the outreach and progress that we have seen so far. As this process gains momentum, as others have said, we must make sure that women, youth, and members of other marginalized groups enjoy full, effective, and meaningful participation and inclusion throughout every stage of the process. That is the hallmark of a true democracy. And including women makes it more likely that the transition will be peaceful. We are hopeful that the tripartite-facilitated dialogue will succeed – and soon. The transfer of power to a civilian-led government will enable the resumption of international financial support and development assistance – support that is desperately needed. To make sure that progress happens, and …

May 9, 2022: The United States reiterates its strong support for the combined efforts of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to facilitate a political process to restore a civilian-led transition to democracy in Sudan. We welcome the outreach and progress made to date. As the process moves forward and the facilitators begin conversations with stakeholders on the substance of a solution, we are convinced that the UNITAMS-AU-IGAD facilitated process is the most inclusive mechanism to achieve an urgently needed agreement on a civilian-led transitional framework. We continue to encourage all Sudanese civilian and military actors to utilize this process to achieve democratic progress and national stability. In recent phone calls with Sudanese civilian and military leaders, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Molly Phee welcomed the release of political detainees in the past few weeks. At the same time, she pressed for the full implementation of promised confidence-building measures by the Sudanese military including lifting the state of emergency and the release of the remaining political detainees. She stressed the need for all stakeholders to participate constructively in the UNITAMS-AU-IGAD facilitated process and to make rapid progress on the framework for a civilian transitional government. She underscored the need for the military to transfer power to a civilian government established under such a framework to enable the resumption of international financial support and development assistance. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. United States Support for the Sudanese Tripartite Political Process Submission Details Author: Africa Media from The Africa Regional Media Hub. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact The Africa Regional Media Hub Facebook: …

April 21, 2022: AS DELIVERED Thank you, Mr. President. And let me start by thanking Under-Secretary Lacroix for sharing his update on UNISFA today. And I also want to thank Special Envoy Tetteh and congratulate her on the assumption of her new position. We look forward to working with her in the course of activities on the Horn. As we prepare to consider UNISFA’s mandate before May 15, we are grateful to hear how UNISFA has been dealing with all of the changes in the Mission and recent developments in Abyei. I would also like to take this moment as well to welcome the presence of representatives of Sudan and South Sudan here today. On behalf of the United States, I would like to voice our continued strong support for UNISFA. And I thank UNISFA personnel, for their invaluable service in support of peace, security, and stability in Abyei. While the mission is undergoing its reconfiguration into a new multinational force, UNISFA remains dedicated to carrying out its critical mandate to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Still, we know, there is a great deal of work ahead of us. So today, I would like to discuss the need for renewed diplomatic engagement in Abyei – the work UN Peacekeepers must do to address violence and disinformation – and the importance of UNISFA forces having access they need to complete their mission. First, let’s be crystal clear: the long-term solution to this conflict can only be worked out through diplomacy. And we encourage all parties to renew diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful and mutually acceptable resolution of Abyei’s final status. We regret there have been no meetings of any joint institutions or mechanisms, including of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, since the last time the Council was briefed on the situation in Abyei last year. It’s simply unacceptable to resign ourselves to the status quo. To this end, we urge the appointment of a civilian deputy head of mission for UNISFA, …