Russian Federation’s Recent Vetoing of Security Council Resolution on Sudanese Conflict Causing Continued Suffering in Strife-Torn Country, Speakers Tell General Assembly
Delegates in the General Assembly took turns today to express their regret over the Russian Federation’s recent vetoing of a Security Council resolution concerning the situation in Sudan, stressing that such action translates to immense and continued suffering in that strife-torn country.
The Assembly met pursuant to the April 2022 resolution (document A/RES/76/262), by which it is stipulated to formally convene within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent Council members. (For background, see Press Release SC/15901 of 18 November.)
The Russian Federation’s action on 18 November further generated calls on the need for Security Council reform to position itself and the Organization to better function as the safeguard for the prosperity and liberties of individuals and nations all over the world.
“Today’s meeting underscores the shared responsibility of the Security Council and the General Assembly to work collaboratively to safeguard peace and collective security,” said Assembly President Philemon Yang (Cameroon). He expressed concern over increasing use of the veto since 2022 following adoption of Assembly resolution 77/262. The alarming trend highlights, yet again, the urgent need for the 193-member organ to take initiative on critical issues of peace and security when the Security Council “finds itself paralyzed and unable to fulfil its core mandates”.
With over 11 million persons displaced in Sudan, 3 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and 80 per cent of the country’s healthcare centres in conflict areas closed or nonfunctional, “these atrocities demand our immediate and collective attention”, he said, calling on all parties to the Sudanese conflict to engage in dialogue, institute an immediate cessation of hostilities and work towards a sustainable resolution. Likewise, the Council must rise to its responsibility and fulfil its mandate in maintaining international peace and security. He called on the international community to not allow the situation to fade in the background as other global conflicts are addressed as it “is equally tragic, equally urgent and demands action”.
Russian Federation’s Speaker Defends Veto Action
Speaking in defence of the veto action, the speaker for the Russian Federation said her country esteems the right to the veto with a full sense of responsibility and would not use it without “real justifications” which the Sudan situation presented on account of some “extremely dangerous” points in the text which threaten that country’s sovereignty. She said the request to deploy international forces in Sudan should come “exclusively” from its leadership and not done “above the heads” of the authorities. “Ill-thought-through peacekeeping operations in the hot stage of a domestic conflict, given its vast geography will end in disaster” and could undermine Sudan’s trust in the UN, she warned, adding that her country is opposed to the politicization of the dire humanitarian situation there.
She called on the Organization’s humanitarian structure and its Western partners to refresh their memory on the UN’s guiding humanitarian principles, “including the depoliticized nature of any assistance provided”. Asserting that the path towards an immediate solution is to ensure an agreement from warring parties — and “no one can make this decision for them” — she said the Council’s role is to assist in this regard and not impose on the Sudanese people the view of some Council members “peppered with postcolonial ideas regarding how this country should be structured”. Further, she called for separate discussions on the illegal and unacceptable unilateral sanctions against the Sahelian country, stating that Moscow will “decisively put a stop to any attempts of our Western colleagues to use this topic to their own ends”. Moreover, her delegation cannot take as serious criticisms by the United States which itself has time and again blocked several Gaza ceasefire resolutions, she added.
Sudan’s Delegate Says Resolution Undermines Sudanese Sovereignty
Sudan’s delegate said his country had, during deliberations, shared reservations on paragraph 10 of the resolution which undermines Sudanese sovereignty and authority. He expected the Council to take a more positive approach and unite against the militia and the Gulf State sponsoring the aggression destroying his country, he said, regretting that some Council members ignored “clear proof” of crimes by the militia. This “clearly reflects the double standards we find unacceptable,” he stressed, further rejecting that some countries use the conflict for political purposes, particularly the flow of arms into Sudan and the use of artificial intelligence to attack its territorial integrity. He regretted the difficulty in adopting more consensus-based wording that could have allowed the text’s adoption instead of signalling to the Rapid Support Forces that their actions can continue and called on the Council to avoid adopting new resolutions “which bring nothing new”.
The Council should call on the Support Forces to respect the Jeddah commitment and resolution 2736 (2024). Highlighting his Government’s facilitation of visas and the opening of crossing points of different airports to show Sudan’s willingness to cooperate with the UN, he urged the international community to “now build capacity and guarantee stability” particularly on resources and precious metals. “We believe the Russian veto supported this State that was being targeted, its military forces that were going to be dismantled and also supported the sovereignty which one of the paragraphs in the resolution was going to deny,” he said. Dissociating his delegation from limited policies that do not regard the Sudanese people, he called on the Council to rediscover preventive diplomacy and the vision of the late Dag Hammarskjöld.
Delegates Voice Disappointment Russian Federation’s Veto Prevented Resolution of Crisis
Delegates expressed their disappointments not only about the exercise of the veto by the Russian Federation but also in its preventing a resolution of the crisis.
The representative of the Netherlands, also speaking for Belgium and Luxembourg, observed that the Russian Federation’s use of the veto forestalls important new accountability and compliance measures that would have improved the foundation for the protection of civilians in Sudan. “Blocking the resolution has done nothing to ease the suffering of people,” she stressed, calling on States to “start working for the Sudanese people, rather than against them”.
“When the UN Security Council fails to take a decision, it is civilian lives that are lost”, ceasefire steps hindered and peace that is prevented, said the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, calling on States to overcome their differences for the sake of “those” civilians. Australia’s representative, who spoke also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, echoed this position, saying the veto initiative ensures that Security Council actions are made to be accountable.
“We are appalled by Russia's incomprehensible use of the veto,” said the representative of Norway, also speaking for fellow Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. She regretted the humanitarian situation affecting millions in Sudan and called on all external actors to “refrain from fuelling the fire”.
France’s delegate noted that Moscow opposed the draft resolution “without any valid reason” despite all points of view taken into account during deliberations. This veto prevented progress on the implementation of the compliance mechanism on the commitments contained in the Jeddah Declaration. Nevertheless, “we cannot resign ourselves to inaction,” he said, recalling that, on 15 April, his country organized the international conference to provide assistance to Sudan and its neighbouring countries and mobilized more than 2 billion euros to that end.
Security Council Reform Vital to Address Evolving Conflicts
Delegates also used the opportunity to press home the need for Council reform in a world of evolving conflicts confronted by an unable Council.
“There is no time as the present, where the reform of the Security Council has been necessary and urgent,” said South Africa’s delegate, regretting that “from Africa to the Middle East, the world is in turmoil because the tools in the hands of the United Nations have been blunted by the use of the veto.” She called for accelerated efforts towards finding a negotiated solution because the longer this conflict persists, the greater the risk of fragmentation and foreign interference.
Veto Must be Prohibited in Situations of Mass Atrocities
Expressing regret that Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is “one of the most severe and underreported tragedies of our time,” Malaysia’s representative said the exercise of the veto must be prohibited in situations of mass atrocity crimes — genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, noting, however, that “ultimately, the veto needs to be abolished altogether.”
Some speakers highlighted the implications of the veto on the families and lives of civilians, with Chile’s representative stressing that “protecting human life must be our highest priority”. He added that the end of the war is only possible through diplomacy and dialogue. The Russian Federation “has been playing both sides of the conflict to advance its own selfish political objectives at the expense of Sudanese lives”, said the United States’ delegate. “Russia claims it is for Africans, but instead votes against a resolution supported by Africans, for Africans, to save African lives,” she said, regretting that Moscow “callously and cynically” prevented the Council from doing its job to save lives in the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
In a twist to the accusations and counter accusations, the representative of the Republic of Korea said that while the Rapid Support Forces continue to violate international humanitarian law, the Sudanese authorities are exploiting the failure to adopt the text and use it as a justification to continue “their” war. “This is an entirely man-made catastrophe, fuelled by a power struggle to consolidate authority through violence,” he added.
The Way Forward
Some delegates like Saudi Arabia and Egypt were quick to provide solutions on the way forward with the former, recalling his country’s hosting of the Jeddah commitments, underscoring that the political settlement is the only way to stop the crisis. Those commitments should therefore be implemented, while the Council shoulders its responsibilities to guarantee Sudan’s unity, security and stability. As for the latter, any solution to the current crisis should be based on respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the stability of its institutions “to allow them to play their role”. Hence, there is a need for vigilance. His delegation welcomes and is working hard towards efforts aimed at strengthening mutual trust between the country and the UN, he said, warning that the opening of the Abri and other cross borders should not exploited for arms passage.
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