Russia appears supportive of proposed UNSC resolution on Sudan
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April 30, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Russian government signaled its
approval of a move by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to
adopt a resolution that calls on north and south Sudan to return to
negotiations and put an end to hostilities that have raged over the
last few weeks.
JPEG - 29.5 kb
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (C) shows the way to his
Sudanese counterpart Ali Ahmed Karti (R) during their meeting in
Moscow April 30, 2012 (Reuters)
UNSC’s intervention was requested by the African Union Peace and
Security Council (AUPSC) which issued a communiqué last week saying
that Khartoum and Juba must reach a deal on post-independence issues
within three months including oil, border demarcation, citizenship and
Abyei.
The seven-point roadmap also called on both sides to cease hostilities
within 48 hours and called for the "unconditional" withdrawal of
troops from disputed areas. It also called for cessation of harboring
of, or support to, rebel groups against the other state and cessation
of hostile propaganda and inflammatory statements in the media.
Should either side not comply, the AU expressed readiness to take
“appropriate measures” without specifying its nature but were
understood to mean sanctions.
AU’s position came in the wake of the most serious unrest since the
South’s independence last year after Juba’s troops briefly occupied
the oil-rich region of Heglig this month.
The U.S. circulated a draft resolution in support of the AU position
and also threatened sanctions under Article 41 of the U.N. charter,
which allows the council to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions
on countries that ignore its decisions.
Sudan said it opposed any UNSC intervention in its dispute with the
south and insisted that the AU be the sole body in charge of the
process.
The Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti traveled to Moscow and met
with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a bid to convince his
country’s traditional ally to support Khartoum’s position.
But while Lavrov signaled reservation on the issue of sanctions he
said that Moscow backs the UNSC resolution.
The resolution "says that the Security Council will consider the
sides’ actions, and depending on how they implement this resolution,
the Council intends to discuss possible further steps," Lavrov told
reporters.
"Yes, it may include measures of economic pressure. But I would repeat
that this is not an automatic decision, but only an intention
depending on how the resolution is implemented," he added.
The Russian foreign minister added that Russia intended to make sure
the draft was fair and "addressed to both sides" while leaving the
African Union in charge of mediating an end to the month of fighting
in the oil-rich region.
In New York, Western diplomats told Reuters that China and Russia were
resisting any reference to article 41 in the draft resolution during
negotiations on the text today at the U.S. mission.
"The draft will probably change before it goes to a vote, which we
hope will happen on Wednesday," a diplomat told Reuters. "China
doesn’t want any mention of Article 41."
Beijing, which has close trade relations with both Khartoum and Juba,
has traditionally acted as Sudan’s protector on the council and for
years has shielded it from U.S. and European calls for sanctions due
to its handling of conflicts in its western Darfur region and
elsewhere in the country.
Russia is supporting China’s push to water down the resolution and
also dislikes the idea of mentioning Article 41 in the resolution,
council diplomats said.
Under the latest U.S. draft, as with two previous versions, the
council would have to pass a new resolution to impose sanctions on
either Khartoum or Juba for not ending hostilities.
The United States made an attempt to soften the language in the latest
draft. The first version, obtained by Reuters, warned Khartoum and
Juba of "its determination, in the event that one or both of the
parties have not complied, to take appropriate additional measures
under Article 41 of the (U.N.) Charter."
The latest version, also obtained by Reuters, softens it by speaking
of the council’s "intention" to take steps under Article 41 in the
event of non-compliance.
In a related issue, the AU hailed the announcement by South Sudan that
it will pull out its troops from the disputed Abyei region.
AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping in a statement praised Juba "for
responding promptly and positively to the call".
"This important decision will greatly contribute to the efforts aimed
at defusing tension between Sudan and South Sudan," Ping said.
(ST)
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