Ambassador Jonathan Cohen
Acting Permanent Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York City
June 27, 2019
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President.
The United States thanks Council members for their endeavors to ensure that UNAMID is well positioned to continue its mission to protect civilians, support humanitarian aid to 1.2 million internally displaced persons, and assist in the creation of an inclusive political process in Darfur. Ongoing armed clashes in the Jebel Marra region between the Sudan Liberation Movement – Abdel Wahid rebel group and the Sudan Armed Forces, intercommunal violence in other parts of Darfur, and the recent attack on civilians in al-Deleij on June 9 serve as reminders of the ongoing security challenges that plague the region. For this reason we believe that UNAMID should continue to implement its full mandate.
As security in Khartoum is intrinsically tied to security in Darfur, this four-month technical roll-over will provide more time for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to remove themselves from team sites, ensure that the transfer of future UNAMID headquarters and team sites are for community use, and to remain responsive to events on the ground.
For now, we support the UN decision to not handover facilities or sites to the RSF and to safeguard the sites for civilian purposes.
Mr. President, the next four months should provide further clarity on the national political situation. We expect the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to transition to a civilian-led government that is able to make progress towards creating the conditions for UNAMID’s planned exit. However, if negotiations stall, or security conditions continue to deteriorate, we will look more closely at a planned UNAMID drawdown. We urge all stakeholders to make significant progress in putting in place a civilian-led transitional government in the coming months. I thank you Mr. President.
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