Security Council backs Annan’s support for UN Sudan envoy
Oct 29, 2006 (UNITED NATIONS) — The UN Security Council Friday fully backed Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s decision to retain Jan Pronk as the top UN envoy to Sudan, despite Khartoum’s demand for his removal. It also warned of the regional impact of the worsening situation in the strife-torn Darfur region.
“The Council Members are very deeply concerned at the continuing deterioration in humanitarian and security conditions in Darfur and Members are also seriously concerned over the spillover into neighbouring countries, Chad is one and the Central African Republic is another,” Council President for October, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, said in a press statement.
“With respect to Mr. Pronk’s status… Members of the Council deeply regretted the decision taken by the Sudanese Government to terminate the tenure of the SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary-General) in the way it did. The Members of the Council fully support the actions taken by the Secretary-General’s statement made by him in this regard.”
Earlier Friday, Mr. Annan said through his spokesman that Mr. Pronk will continue to serve as his Special Representative in Sudan until the end of the year, when his contract is set to expire. Mr. Pronk, who briefed the Council today, will also return to Khartoum next month to organize a smooth handover to an interim officer in charge of the UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), the statement added.
The Sudanese Government has rejected the expansion of UNMIS to Darfur, where at least 200,000 people are estimated to have died as a result of the conflict between Government forces, allied militias and rebels seeking greater autonomy, and more than 2 million others have been displaced.
At present the UN assists an African Union mission in the region, known as AMIS, and Mr. Oshima said the Council calls on the international community to support this both “materially and financially,” while it also emphasized the need for continued dialogue with Sudan’s authorities to get their agreement on an enhanced force.
UNMIS has some 10,250 uniformed personnel in Sudan out of a total of up to 27,300 mandated when the Council expanded the mission in August.
Along with the briefing from Mr. Pronk, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno also addressed the Council before both men later spoke to reporters, where Mr. Guéhenno further emphasized the need for a political solution to the problems in Darfur as well as for a strong UN force.
“All the members of the Council paid tribute to [Mr. Pronk’s] courage, to his commitment to Sudan and to peace in Sudan… I also then discussed the need that for us continues to be fundamental to have a strong force deployed in Darfur to bring peace to Darfur,” said Mr. Guéhenno.
“I also stressed to the Council that no military force will by itself bring peace to Darfur. There has to be a political process and the United Nations stands ready to engage further to promote a political process in Darfur in support of the efforts of the African Union.”
He also expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Chad and the Central African Republic and said the UN would send fact-finding missions to both countries to see how it could offer assistance.
(UN News)