United Nations Security Council Resolution 2429 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan
Resolution 2429 (2018)
The Security Council,
Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and presidential statements concerning the situation in Sudan and underlining the importance of full compliance with these,
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Sudan and its determination to work with the Government of Sudan, in full respect of its sovereignty, to assist in tackling the various challenges in Sudan,
Recalling the importance of the principles of the peaceful settlement of international disputes, good neighbourliness, non-interference and cooperation in the relations among States in the region,
Reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, including consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate, and recognising that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the country concerned, and recalling S/PRST/2015/22,
Recalling all its relevant resolutions on women, peace and security, on children and armed conflicts, on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,
Underlining, without prejudice to the Security Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the importance of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, with regard to the maintenance of peace and security in Africa, particularly in Sudan,
Noting the African Union Peace and Security Council communique PSC/PR/COMM.(DCCLXXVIII) on the renewal of the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID),
Recalling resolution 2378 (2017), which requests the Secretary-General to ensure that data related to the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations, inc luding peacekeeping performance data, is used to improve analytics and evaluation of mission operations, based on clear and well identified benchmarks, and further recalling resolution 2242 (2015) and its aspiration to double the number of women in military and police contingents of United Nations peacekeeping operations by 2020,
Current situation
Welcoming the improvement in security conditions while expressing concernthat the security situation in Darfur remains precarious due to the destabilising activities of a number of actors, including elements of some armed movements, auxiliary units of the Government of Sudan forces and militia groups, and which further exacerbate insecurity, threats against civilians in Darfur, inter-communal violence, acts of criminality, and the lack of development and rule of law,
Welcoming the reduction of military confrontations between Government forces and rebel groups, noting the announcement of unilateral cessations of hostilities by the Government of Sudan and by the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minnawi (SLA/MM), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)/Gibril and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC),
Expressing concern at ongoing clashes in Jebel Marra, which have resulted in burning down of villages, new civilian displacement, and restricted humanitarian access, condemning any violations of unilateral cessations of hostilities and urging all parties to abide by their unilateral cessations of hostilities, where they exist, and to immediately agree to a permanent ceasefire,
Recalling its resolution 2117 (2013) and expressing concern at the threat to peace and security in Darfur arising from the illicit transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and the continued threats to civilians posed by unexploded ordnance, recognising the role of the Sudan-Chad Joint Border Force and the weapons-collection programme launched by the Government in this regard, and noting that the programme has contributed to the reduction in inter-communal violence and criminality,
Reiterating its demand that all parties to the conflict in Darfur immediately end violence, including attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel,
Noting that, notwithstanding the significant decrease in inter-communal conflicts, they remain one of the main sources of violence in Darfur and expressing concern at ongoing inter-communal conflicts over land, access to water and other resources, migration issues and tribal rivalries, including with the involvement of paramilitary units and tribal militias, as well as at the persistence of attacks against civilians, sexual and gender-based violence and grave violations against children, and that crucial grievances that caused the conflict remain unaddressed,
Welcoming efforts by the Government of Sudan, including local authorities, to restore law and order through the deployment across Darfur of additional human and material resources for policing, corrections and judiciary, noting that rule of law capacity remains limited, urging the Government of Sudan to consolidate and expand its efforts to end impunity and to enhance the protective environment for the civilian population, without any discrimination, particularly with respect to violations and abuses of women’s rights and sexual and gender-based violence as well as grave violations and abuses against children, and acknowledging the important role UNAMID has played in strengthening rule of law institutions, and noting requests from state and local officials for increased rule-of-law capacity building assistance from the UN Country Team and UNAMID, particularly to benefit the Sudanese police and judicial and corrections institutions, to establish a protective environment,
Emphasising that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights must be held accountable and that the Government of Sudan bears the primary responsibility to protect civilians, including women and children, within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including protection from crimes against humanity and war crimes,
Humanitarian situation and displacement and development issues
Welcoming significant reductions in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), while expressing concern that a very significant number, approximately two million people, remain long term displaced, most of whom are in need of humanitarian assistance, and that new civilian displacements have occurred in the first and second quarters of 2018 as a result of clashes in Jebel Marra, that these clashes have also negatively impacted humanitarian operations in those areas, and calling on the Government of Sudan to facilitate immediately unhindered access forUNAMID and humanitarian actors to populations in need of humanitarian assistance, including those in areas of conflict,
Encouraging the Government of Sudan to swiftly ensure that the UNAMID team sites already handed over and team sites that will be handed over in the future are utilised in line with the agreements made between UNAMID and Government of Sudan,
Underlining the importance of the Government of Sudan addressing the root causes of conflict and extending state authority, including through the strengthening of the rule of law and respect for human rights throughout Darfur in order to make the transition to peacebuilding possible and which should rapidly deliver real benefits for the people of Darfur,
Recognising the adverse effects of climate change, ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, on the situation in Darfur, including through drought, desertification, land degradation and food insecurity,
Recognising that the current national economic and fuel crisis in Sudan is having a negative impact on the humanitarian situation, food security, and the ability of the Sudanese government institutions, including the police, to provide services and access to areas of Darfur, expressing concern that the total number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan has increased from 5.5 million to 7.1 million as a result, and calling on the Government of Sudan to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to meet the urgent needs of this population, and calling ondonors, the regional authorities in Darfur, and the Government of Sudan to provide the financial resources necessary to reach those in need, including through the United Nations Country Team, and to undertake activities in support of the transition to peacebuilding, and urging the Government of Sudan and the local authorities to ensure there is an environment conducive to the provision of such activities, including improving access for development and peacebuilding actors,
Urging the Government of Sudan to ensure that the Darfur Peace Follow-up Office is properly resourced in order to continue implementation of the work of the former Darfur Regional Authority and the Commissions, urging donors and the Government of Sudan to honour their pledges and fulfil their obligations in a timely manner, including those commitments made at the conference in Doha in April 2013,
Affirming that development can support a lasting peace in Darfur, noting that the Darfur Development Strategy only extends through 2019 and calling on the Government of Sudan and donors to engage and support the strategic review of the Darfur Development Strategy, with a view to extending it to 2025, and further calling on donors to ensure their funding is adequately aligned to Darfur’s current development needs,
Recalling the commitments made by the Government of Sudan and other signatories to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) to ensure the unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the population in need and the protection of humanitarian workers and their operations in areas under their control, as well as to guarantee UNAMID unfettered freedom of movement in all areas and at all times in Darfur in the exercise of its mandate, and further recalling the role of the Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC) in assessing the implementation of the DDPD,
Political situation
Reiterating that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Darfur, and that an inclusive political settlement is essential to ensuring peace, and underscoringthe importance of fully addressing the root causes of the conflict, including management of land, water and other resources, in this regard reaffirming its support for the DDPD as a viable framework to address the root causes of the conflict, including for the peace process in Darfur, and for its accelerated implementation and noting that UNAMID’s ability to facilitate progress in implementation of the DDPD is hampered by delays and the absence of an inclusive political settlement between the Government of Sudan and non-signatory armed movements,
Reiterating its support for the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and the Roadmap, regretting the lack of progress in implementation, and urging all parties to immediately re-engage in negotiations with the AUHIP on the Roadmap to make immediate progress on the implementation of the Roadmap, including the signing of cessation of hostilities and humanitarian assistance agreements among the parties consistent with the first phase of the Roadmap, urgingthe signatories to consider mutually acceptable, viable options for the implementation of the Roadmap and further urging non-signatory groups to join negotiations without delay,
Noting that the Government of Sudan has continued to express its openness for outstanding opposition groups to join the Sudan National Dialogue process, and encouraging the Government of Sudan to create a more conducive and inclusive environment that would enable outstanding opposition groups to contribute to this process, including by contributing to the recommendations agreed in the national document, modalities for their implementation, and to join the National Dialogue process that would include the drafting of a new constitution,
Noting that local dispute resolution mechanisms play an important role in preventing and resolving inter-communal conflict, including conflict over natural resources, urging an intensification of effective efforts to prevent local disputes leading to violence, with its corresponding impact on the local civilian populations, acknowledging the efforts of Sudanese authorities, with the support of UNAMID, efforts of the United Nations Country Team and civil society, particularly through the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund (DCPSF), in this regard, welcoming the encouraging conclusion of several inter-communal peace agreements, with support from UNAMID, the United Nations Country Team and civil society, and urging their continued work in collaboration with the Government of Sudan to find sustainable solutions to these conflicts,
Welcoming regional and other initiatives, undertaken in close interaction with the Government of Sudan, to address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and to promote a sustainable peace, commending the efforts of the AU-HIP, led by President Thabo Mbeki and the efforts of the Joint Special Representative (JSR) to secure peace, stability and security in Darfur, including through support to international, regional and national efforts to revitalise the peace process and increase its inclusiveness,
Calling on all parties to comply with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, stressing the importance that the Council attaches to ending impunity including through ensuring accountability and bringing to justice the perpetrators of crimes, including sexual and gender-based violence, committed by all parties in Darfur, urging the Government of Sudan to comply with its obligations in this respect, recognising the role of the Special Prosecutor for Darfur appointed by the Government of Sudan, particularly with respect to cases of sexual and gender-based violence, and stressing the need for progress in particular in investigating and prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence cases with respect to perpetrators on all sides, reiterating the call for swift progress on the draft Memorandum of Understanding providing for UNAMID and African Union observation of the proceedings of the Special Court, and calling on the Government of Sudan to investigate swiftly attacks against UNAMID, and to bring the perpetrators to justice,
Reaffirming its concern over the negative effect of instability in Darfur on the stability of Sudan as a whole as well as the region, expressing serious concern at the presence of Darfur armed movements in conflict areas outside Sudan and their involvement in migrant smuggling, criminal activity banditry and mercenary activities and encouraging cooperation between regional state actors to address cross-border issues, such as weapons smuggling, in order to achieve peace and stability in Darfur and the wider region, and recalling in this regard the arms embargo as contained in paragraph 9 of resolution 1556 (2004) and paragraph 7 of resolution 1591 (2005), as updated in paragraph 9 of resolution 1945 (2010) and paragraph 4 of resolution 2035 (2012),
Commending UNAMID for the successful implementation of resolution 2363, in particular the completion of phase one and two of its reconfiguration and reiterating its full support for UNAMID,
Noting with appreciation the Special Report of the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission of 1 June 2018 (S/2018/530) (the ‘Special Report’),
Welcoming the improvement in freedom of movement for UNAMID as well as in the issuance of visas for UNAMID staff and the processing of UNAMID containers, but expressing concern that restrictions remain in place, including restrictions from the Government of Sudan on the conduct of night patrols all over Darfur and restrictions preventing UNAMID and humanitarian actors from reaching areas where there are instances of conflict in a timely fashion in response to the ongoing reports of violent incidents in the Jebel Marra area, and that obstacles, including bureaucratic obstacles, imposed on UNAMID continue to jeopardise its ability to deliver on its mandate, including visa restrictions targeted at some elements of UNAMID, particularly the human rights section, and ongoing delays in the processing of UNAMID containers, recognising the Government of Sudan’s commitment to cooperate with UNAMID and humanitarian personnel on all logistical issues and calling on the Government of Sudan to honour continuously its commitment in full to ensure that humanitarian personnel and UNAMID can operate in support of addressing basic needs,
Adopted by the Security Council at its 8311th meeting, on 13 July 2018.
