United Nations Security Council Resolution 2304 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan

Resolution 2304 (2016)

The Security Council,

Recalling its previous resolutions 1996 (2011), 2046 (2012), 2057 (2012), 2109 (2013), 2132 (2013), 2155 (2014), 2187 (2014), 2206 (2015), 2223 (2015), 2241 (2015), 2252 (2015), and 2302 (2016) and statements by its President S/PRST/2014/16, S/PRST/2014/26, S/PRST/2015/9, S/PRST/2016/1, and S/PRST/2016/3,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity of the Republic of South Sudan, and recalling the importance of the principles of non-interference, good-neighbourliness, and regional cooperation,

Reiterating its grave alarm and concern regarding the political, security, economic, and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, resulting from the internal Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) political dispute, and subsequent violence caused by the country’s political and military leaders since December 2013, and emphasizing there can be no military solution to the situation in South Sudan and noting the “Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of SouthSudan” as the framework for durable peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in South Sudan,

Condemning in the strongest terms the fighting in Juba, South Sudan 8-11 July 2016, including attacks against civilians, United Nations personnel, premises a nd property, and requesting the Secretary-General expedite investigation into these attacks, expressing deep concern at the tense and fragile security situation in the rest of the country, including armed clashes and violence involving the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and SPLA-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), and armed groups, reminding all parties of the civilian character of protection of civilians sites in South Sudan, and recalling resolution 2206 (2015), which states in part that those who engage in attacks against United Nations missions, international security presences, or other peacekeeping operations, or humanitarian personnel may be subject to sanctions,

Further condemning the clashes that took place at the United Nations Protection of Civilians site in Malakal, South Sudan on 17-18 February, and requesting the United Nations Secretariat to ensure that the lessons learned from that incident are applied in the future operation of the mission,

Commending the work of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), and noting with concern that the extensive resources needed to protect civilians at the United Nations Protection of Civilians sites has limited UNMISS’s presence outside the United Nations Protection of Civilians site s,

Condemning the continued obstruction of UNMISS by the Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan, including severe restrictions on freedom of movement and constraints on mission operations which may be in violation of its obligations under the Status of Forces Agreement,

Strongly condemning all human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving extrajudicial killings, ethnically targeted violence, rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, recruitment and use of children, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention, violence aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population, targeting of members of civil society, and attacks on schools, places of worship, hospitals, and United Nations and associated personnel, by all parties, including armed groups and national security forces, as well as the incitement to commit such abuses and violations, further condemning harassment and targeting of civil society, humanitarian personnel and journalists, and emphasizing that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights must be held accountable, and that South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity bears the primary responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity,

Taking note of the decisions adopted by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Plus Heads of State and Government in their 16 July 2016 Communique for deployment of a “regional protection force,” the African Union Assembly 18 July 2016 communique endorsing the IGAD Plus Heads of State and Government 16 July 2016 communique, and the 5 August 2016 Communique of the Second IGAD Plus Extra-Ordinary Summit on the Situation in South Sudan which notes the Transitional Government of National Unity’s consent to deployment of such a force in principle and welcoming the readiness expressed by member states in the region to increase their contribution of troops to UNMISS for this purpose,

Encouraging countries in the region, the African Union Peace and Security Council, and IGAD to continue firmly engaging with South Sudanese leaders to address the current political crisis,

Determining that the situation in South Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 7754th meeting, on 12 August 2016.