Sudan calls on United Nations to review Darfur regime of sanctions
April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The foreign ministry has called on the visiting UN Sanctions Committee established under resolution 1591 (2005) on Sudan to reconsider its 13-year regime of sanctions on Darfur.
On 8 February, the UN Security Council announced its intention to regularly review the measures on Darfur in the context of the evolving situation on the ground, taking into account the Committee Chair’s report and recommendations, and in light of reports submitted by the Panel of Experts.
Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Omer Sidiq received Joanna Wronecka (Poland), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and accompanying delegation including committee members and some members of the panel of experts.
The Sudanese diplomat welcomed UN resolution 2400 (2018) on the Council’s determination to review the sanctions regime and stressed the importance that Sudan attaches to reviewing the sanctions regime, said a statement issued by the ministry after the meeting.
“He pointed to the positive developments on the ground in Darfur, which led the UN Security Council to reduce the number of UNAMID forces by half, saying it represents a categorical acknowledgement of the development of the situation towards peace and sustainable stability,” further said the statement.
Wronecka who is Poland’s Ambassador to the United Nations served from 1999 to 2003 as a non-resident ambassador to Sudan.
The Sudan Sanctions Committee has to brief the Security Council on its work every 90 days. The last briefing was on 14 March 2018.
Last February, the Security Council extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which supports the work of the sanctions committee, until 12 March 2019.
By the terms of resolution 1591 (2005), the committee oversees the implementation of the sanctions; considers and decides upon requests for exemptions from the sanctions, and designates individuals and entities who meet the listing criteria.
The sanctions measures include an embargo on arms and technical training and assistance in relation to actors operating in Darfur; besides a travel ban and assets freeze.
The UN list of individual sanctions contains four names: Gen Gaffar Mohammed Elhassan, tribal leader Musa Hilal, Sudan Liberation Army Commander Adam Yacob Sharif, and National Movement for Reform and Development Commander Jibril Abdulkarim Ibrahim Mayu.
(ST)