Security Council threatens to slap sanction on Darfur groups

February 25, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Security Council on Thursday threatened to sanction all Darfur armed groups signatory or non-signatory to the Juba peace agreement for impeding peace and destabilizing regional stability.

United Nations Security Council meeting which unanimously adopted resolution 2228 (2015) extending the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) June 29, 2015 (UN Photo)The U.N. Security Council’s Sudan sanctions committee held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the final report of the Panel of Experts, submitted on 13 January 2021 about the security situation in the region and violation of the arms embargo in Darfur.

In a statement released after the meeting, UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the Committee is urged the Juba Peace Agreement signatory groups to stop recruiting fighters, in violation of the peace pact.

“Furthermore, the Committee is urging the JPA signatory movements to withdraw their forces from foreign countries completely, in line with the JPA. If they fail to comply and therefore continue to pose a threat to regional stability, the Committee would consider listing those individuals or entities on the 1591 Sanctions List,” stressed the statement.

The panel of experts reported that the former rebel groups engaged in an extensive recruitment campaign and even recruited child soldiers to maximize their leverage in the implementation of security arrangements.

Also, these groups have consolidated their relations with the Libyan parties and their backers particularly: the United Arab Emirates who convinced them to leave some of their troops in Libya.

With regard to the holdout group of the Sudan Liberation Movement- Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW), the Security Council committee urged the non-signatory group to negotiate a peace agreement with the government.

“If they fail to comply, and therefore constitute an impediment to peace, the Committee would consider listing those individuals or entities on the 1591 Sanctions List,” warned the UN spokesman.

The experts said that the SLM-AW increased its capability by recruiting new fighters and purchasing weapons, thanks to gold mines in the mountainous Jebel Marra area.

They also said the inter-fighting between the different factions of the armed groups displaced over 20,000 civilians, and that the rebels committed human rights violations.

(ST)