SUDAN: COUNCIL CONSIDERS SANCTIONS COMMITTEE REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000613 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ETTC SU UNSC SUBJECT: SUDAN: COUNCIL CONSIDERS SANCTIONS COMMITTEE REPORT ¶1. SUMMARY: On June 19, Austrian Perm Rep Mayr-Harting, chair of the Sudan Sanctions Committee ("1591 Committee") updated the UN Security Council on the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days highlighting the Committee's informal consultations to review the Panel of Experts'(POE) midterm report and the exchange of views with Joint UN-AU Special Representative. Ambassador DiCarlo noted concern over the lack of cooperation with the POE by both the Government of Sudan (GOS) and other UN bodies and reports that the GOS violated the arms embargo in Darfur. UK, France, and Burkina Faso also echoed disappointment with the difficulties faced by the POE and the lack of cooperation by the GOS, while noting the critical importance of the POE's work. Libya focused on the Committee's responsibility not to exacerbate strained relations between the POE and the GOS while referencing a paragraph in the POE's report to illustrate that the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment is undermining the political process in Sudan. END SUMMARY. ¶2. On June 19, Austria Perm Rep Mayr-Harting, chair of the Sudan Sanctions Committee ("1591 Committee") briefed the UN Security Council on the Committee's activities over the previous ninety days. He noted that Joint UN-AU Special Representative Adada had met with the Committee and explained that: 1) the earlier UN denial of country clearance to the POE was due to security concerns in the backdrop of the ICC indictment (NOTE: Security clearance was eventually granted. END NOTE); 2) the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was not fully deployed and therefore made it difficult to support the operational work of the POE; and 3) the current capacity of UNAMID also made it difficult to dedicate further resources to monitoring the arms embargo. However, UNAMID was ready to provide the Committee with information related to the arms embargo in Darfur. ¶3. Mayr-Harting highlighted to the Council the difficulties that the POE faced in its relations with the GOS including the visa denial of the arms expert, the subsequent resignation of the arms expert, and the lack of GOS response to numerous queries made by the POE. Mayr-Harting also reported on the POE's assertion that relevant UN bodies, including the peacekeeping operations, were not sharing information related to the POE's mandate. Finally, Mayr-Harting noted that he continued to discuss a possible exchange of views between the Committee and Sudan's Perm Rep Mohamad. ¶4. Ambassador DiCarlo said that the United States believes that targeted sanctions play an important role in supporting peace and stability in the region by both encouraging reconciliation amongst those committed to peace and isolating those who oppose it. She emphasized that the arms embargo helps to reduce flow of arms to Darfur and expressed strong concern over the POE report that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) were delivered to the GOS and used for military purposes in Darfur. Moreover, DiCarlo expressed disappointment that the GOS was hampering the work of the POE by not issuing visas and not answering POE requests. DiCarlo commended the Secretariat's efforts to improve cooperation with the POE, including facilitation of travel, however called on the Secretariat to continue to look for ways to facilitate the POE's movement and access in the region. ¶5. Libyan Deputy Perm Rep D'Abbashi expressed concern over the deteriorating political and security situation in Darfur, noting that a comprehensive political settlement was urgently needed. To this end, he asserted, certain outside actions such as the ICC indictment strengthened the position of other armed groups and hindered the political process. D'Abbashi pointed to a section of the POE's report that stated that the indictment seemed to have emboldened some movements (NOTE: The POE report also stated that the indictment may have urged the GOS to increase investment in the peace process. END NOTE.) Finally, he urged the Committee to play a positive role in repairing the relationship between the POE and the GOS. He also urged the GOS to stop denying visas to the POE. Finally, D'Abbashi supported Committee dialogue with UNAMID but stated that this could undermine UNAMID's credibility vis--vis the GOS if direct channels between UNAMID and the Committee were created. ¶6. French Political Coordinator De Riviere called for an immediate cease fire and expressed concern that the work of USUN NEW Y 00000613 002 OF 002 the POE was being hampered. He characterized the level of GOS cooperation as insufficient. ¶7. UK Political Coordinator Quarry called the POE an invaluable source of information to the Council and reiterated concern that the POE was unable to fulfill its mandate in light of the difficulties it faces. He called attention to the GOS denial of the arms expert's visa which he referred to as a clear attempt to stop the Committee's work. Quarry called on all states to implement 1591 obligations and supported a widening of the arms embargo to include all of Sudan. ¶8. Burkina Faso Perm Rep Kafando expressed concern over the difficulties of the POE with the GOS and within the UN. He stated that all parties must cooperate with the POE and was encouraged by the Committee Chair's continued contact with the GOS. RICE