United Nations Security Council Resolution 2173 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan

Resolution 2173 (2014)

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 inthe 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 recognizing that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the country concerned,

Reaffirming its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel; resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), and 2143 (2014) on children and armed conflict; resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) on women, peace, and security, and resolution 2086 (2013) on United Nations peacekeeping operations,

Expressing deep concern at the serious deterioration in the security situation overall so far in 2014, and the profound negative impact of this on civilians, in particular women and children, including through continued clashes between Government forces and rebel armed groups, an escalation of inter-tribal fighting and other local clashes, including with the involvement of paramilitary units and tribal militias, and an increase in criminality and banditry, further expressing deep concern that such clashes, including attacks by rebel groups and Government forces and aerial bombardment by the Government of Sudan, inter-tribal fighting, banditry and criminality continue to threaten civilians, while welcoming a slight improvement in the security situation since May; and reiterating its demand that all parties to the conflict in Darfur immediately end violence, including attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel,

Recalling its resolution 2117 (2013) and expressing concern at the threat to peace and security in Darfur arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and the continued threats to civilians posed by unexploded ordnance,

Expressing deep concern at the significant increase in population displacements this year and the consequent increase in humanitarian assistance and protection needs, with an estimated 359,000 newly displaced since January this year, around 260,000 of whom have been unable to return to their homes, alongside more than 2 million long-term Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),

Recalling the commitments made by the Government of Sudan and other signatories to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) to ensure the unimpeded 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 the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) unimpeded freedom of movement in all areas and at all times in Darfur in the exercise of its mandate,

Further expressing concern that the suspension of operations or the withdrawal of some international humanitarian actors have left significant gaps in the delivery of humanitarian assistance, calling on the Government of Sudan to ensure humanitarian actors can operate in support of addressing basic needs, and calling on donors, the Darfur Regional Authority and the Government of Sudan to provide the financial resources necessary to reach those in need,

Reiterating that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Darfur, and that an inclusive political settlement is essential to re-establishing peace, and underscoring the importance of fully addressing the root causes of the conflict in the search for a sustainable peace, which should rapidly deliver real benefits for the Darfuri people, in this regard reiterating its support for the DDPD as a viable framework for the Darfur peace process, and for its accelerated implementation, and noting that this process and the national initiative for dialogue in Sudan could be complementary and mutually reinforcing processes,

Welcoming in this regard the announcement by President Bashir on 27 January of a national dialogue, noting that the modalities of such a dialogue should provide an opportunity to address the legitimate grievances of the people of Darfur, that the national dialogue has the potential to offer an opportunity to pave the way for lasting peace throughout Sudan, building on existing peace processes including the DDPD, noting the stated commitment of the Government of Sudan to an inclusive national dialogue, and calling for an enabling environment conducive to the national dialogue, which would constitute a key step towards achieving a credible, transparent, inclusive, nationally owned and Sudanese-led process; further calling on all parties to engage constructively with this process, urging all parties to refrain from any attempt to obstruct it, and looking forward to further developments towards the implementation of an inclusive dialogue process,

Deploring the fact that some armed groups have refused to join the peace process and are impeding the implementation of the DDPD, reiterating its demand for the release of members of the former movement of Mohamed Bashar, taken captive in May 2013 by JEM-Gibril forces, and condemning any actions by any armed group aimed at forced overthrow of the Government of Sudan,

Noting in this regard that UNAMID’s ability to facilitate progress in implementation of the DDPD is hampered by delays by the signatory parties and the absence of an inclusive political settlement between the government and non-signatory movements, urging the signatory parties to take the necessary remaining steps to implement the DDPD fully, expressing concern that the humanitarian and security situation, as well as lack of capacity of the Darfur Regional Authority, hinder the transition from relief to stabilization and development activities, 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, welcoming the confirmation of the Government of Qatar of its pledge of USD88.5 million, and the transfer of USD10 million of this amount to the UN Darfur Fund in April, and affirming that development can support a lasting peace in Darfur,

Noting that local dispute resolution mechanisms play an important role in preventing and resolving inter-communal conflict, including conflict over natural resources, and 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 and local mediators to mediate in inter-tribal fighting, with support from UNAMID and the UN Country Team (UNCT), and urging their continued work,

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, including the convening by the President of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno, of a second mediation forum in Um Jaras from 26 to 29 March 2014, and encouraging the full coordination of such initiatives with the efforts of the Joint Special Representative,

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 (AU), 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,

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 committed by all parties in Darfur, urging the Government of Sudan to comply with its obligations in this respect, welcoming the ongoing investigations by the Special Prosecutor for Darfur appointed by the Government of Sudan and stressing the need for further progress in this regard, calling 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 swiftly to investigate attacks against UNAMID and to bring the perpetrators to justice,

Reaffirming its concern over the negative effect of ongoing violence in Darfur on the stability of Sudan as a whole as well as the region, welcoming the ongoing good relations between Sudan and Chad, including on border control, and encouraging Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic to continue to cooperate in order to achieve peace and stability in Darfur and the wider region,

Commending the efforts of UNAMID towards promoting peace and stability in Darfur, and reiterating its full support for UNAMID,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 22 July 2014 (S/2014/515) on UNAMID,

Welcoming the announcement by the Secretary-General on 2 July 2014 of a review, following recent serious allegations against UNAMID, looking forward to the swift and thorough implementation of this review and stressing the importance of prompt and effective action on the results of that review, if necessary,

Determining that the situation in Sudan constitutes a threat to international peace and security,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 7250th meeting, on 27 August 2014.