RSS Letter to UNSC 22 April 2012
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Permanent Mission of th e Republic of South Sudan o the United Nations 22 Aplil2()12 H. E. Ms. iusan E. Rice President f the UN Security Council permanent epresentative f the United States f America o the United Nations Permanent ission of the United States f America o the United Nations UN Plaza New York, NI.Y. 10017 Madam President, our ExcellencY, On 20 Apil2012, H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President f the Republic of South Sudan South Sudan), r6ered he Sudan People's iberation Army (SPLA) o withdraw rom Panthou Heglig) within 3 days. I am pleased o confirm hat his withdrawal s now complete. I regret o inform you, however, hat he Republic of Sudan Sudan) as not headed he United Nations Security Council's UNSC) clear statement n 12 April calling or its immediate nd unconditional cessation f all aerial bombardments n the enitory of South Sudan. n the ast wenty-four ours, he Sudan as been aunching ggressive ffensive operations n South Sudan's erritory using aerial bombardments ground attacks. We call on the Sudan o halt all aerial bombardments nd ground attacks on the tenitory of South Sudan. We strongly condemn Sudan or its continuous acts of war and for taking advantage f South Sudan's eadiness o maintain peace. your Excellency, udan Armed Forces SAF) attacked outh Sudan while its SPLA roops were voluntarily complying with the -INSC's equest hat hey mmediately nd unconditionally ithdraw from Panthou Heglig). We remind he United Nations hat South Sudan nly occupied his disputed area o prevent Sudan rom continuing o use t as a launching ground or attacks on civilian areas within South Sudan erritory. Nevertheless, s he SPLA withdrew peacefully, Sudan ggressively, nd n direct violation of the undamental rinciples f the UN Charter, ttacked ur erritory. The number of casualties nd damage aused y these ew assaults re yet o be determined. On 20 Aprtl2012, H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President f the Republic of South Sudan, rdered he SpLA troops o withdraw out of Panthou Heglig) within the period of 3 days. My Government ook this principled decision ot because f a real or perceived hreat of a military defeat, t 336 East 45th St . Fifth Floor New York, NY 10017 P: + (202) 293-7940 F: + (202) 293-794r
Transcript of RSS Letter to UNSC 22 April 2012
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PermanentMissionof theRepublicof SouthSudan o the UnitedNations
22 Aplil2()12
H. E.Ms. iusanE.Rice
President f theUN SecurityCouncilpermanent epresentativef theUnitedStates f America o theUnitedNations
Permanent issionof the UnitedStates f America o theUnitedNations
799UN PlazaNewYork,NI.Y.10017
MadamPresident, our ExcellencY,
On20 Apil2012, H.E. Gen.SalvaKiir Mayardit,President f theRepublicof SouthSudanSouth
Sudan), r6eredheSudanPeople's iberationArmy (SPLA) o withdraw rom PanthouHeglig)within
3 days.I ampleasedo confirm hat hiswithdrawals now complete.
I regreto informyou,however,hat heRepublicof SudanSudan) asnotheadedhe UnitedNations
SecurityCouncil'sUNSC)clearstatementn 12April calling or its immediate ndunconditional
cessationf all aerialbombardmentsn the enitoryof SouthSudan. n the ast wenty-four ours, he
Sudan asbeenaunching ggressiveffensiveoperationsn SouthSudan'serritoryusingaerial
bombardmentsndgroundattacks.Wecall on the Sudano halt all aerialbombardments ndground
attacksonthe tenitory of SouthSudan.We stronglycondemnSudanor its continuousactsof war and
for takingadvantagef SouthSudan'seadinesso maintainpeace.
your Excellency, udanArmedForcesSAF)attacked outhSudanwhile its SPLA roopswere
voluntarilycomplyingwith the -INSC'sequesthat hey mmediately ndunconditionally ithdraw
fromPanthouHeglig). Weremind he UnitedNations hatSouthSudan nly occupiedhis disputed
areao preventSudanrom continuing o use t asa launchingground or attackson civilian areaswithin
SouthSudanerritory. Nevertheless,s heSPLAwithdrewpeacefully,Sudan ggressively,nd n
directviolationof the undamental rinciples f theUN Charter, ttacked ur erritory.Thenumberof
casualtiesnddamage aused y these ew assaults reyet o bedetermined.
On20 Aprtl2012,H.E.Gen.SalvaKiir Mayardit,President f theRepublicof SouthSudan, rderedhe
SpLAtroopso withdrawoutof PanthouHeglig)within theperiodof 3 days.My Governmentook
thisprincipleddecision ot because f areal or perceivedhreatof a militarydefeat, ut only becauset
336East45thSt.FifthFloor
NewYork,NY 10017
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(202)293-7940F: + (202)293-794r
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doesnotwishto seearetumto war, and t sincerelyseeks n mmediate esumptionof negotiations
betweenheSudanandSouthSudan.My Government asbehavedesponsibly,and n conformitywith
therecent residential tatement f the UN SecurityCouncil. It hasdonesobecauset respectsherule
of law andhasconfidencehat if it withdrewfrom Panthou Heglig), ts fellow MemberStates f the
UN wouldnot allow Sudano benefitfrom SouthSudan's ctof peace - that the international
communitywouldnot allow civiliansto remainvulnerableandunprotected.
Now, ust asSouthSudan autionedhe UNSC astweek, t is clear hatSudan revailed pon he
UNSC o demandhewithdrawalof SPLAarmed orces romHegligonlyto clearapath or itself o
launchmorebrutalattacks n ts neighbor.This s nowwhatSudans doing, irlly uncheckedy the
internationalommunity.Please now hat under hese ircumstances,outhSudan ontinueso reserve
its sovereignight o defendts peopleand enitory. Westronglyprefernegotiations nd eiterate ur
requestsfrat tre ntemationalcommunity akemeasureso ensurehatwar remainsn ourpast.
To this end, he Governmentof theRepublicof SouthSudannow callsupon the United Nations
SecurityCouncil to immediatelyconvene,nvoke ts UN Charter ChapterVII powers,and agree
to takeall thenecessarymeasures vailable o ensurean unconditionaland immediatecessation f
all Sudan's erialbombardments nd actsof aggressionithin SouthSudan'serritory.
your Excellency,hepeopleof SouthSudan re ooking o the UNSC o bringan end o the hreato
peace nd nternationilsecurityposed y Sudan's ontinuedndiscriminate ttacks n civilians n South
budan.It iisontheirbehalf hat heGovernment f SouthSudanespectfully allsupon he Council o
profoundly econsiderts course f action.Historyhasshownhatcondemnationf Sudan's ttacks nd
mere equestsor theircessation ill haveno mpactonKhartoum's ecisions nless learand angible
.orrr.qulnres ollow. Absentsuchconsequences,outhSudan,likeanyMemberStateof the UN, will
havenbother ecoursehan o exercisets sovereignight to defend ts territory and carryout its
responsibilityo protecthephysical ntegrityof itspeople.
I wish o underlinehatmy Government's ecisiono withdraw rom Panthous withoutprejudiceo
SouthSudan's osition hatPanthous partof SouthSudan, ndmustbe dealtwith in the samemanner
asothercgntestedreas long heshared order.The Januarytt 1956border,which under he ermsof
the2005Comprehensiveeace greements the basisor theNorth/South order,n factplaces
panthouwell within the erritoryof theRepublicof SouthSudan. t wasonly in the 1980s, nceoil was
discoveredn theregion hatsuccessiveovernmentsn Khartoum oughto shiftthe 1956North/South
boundaryo placePanthou which s now knownasHeglig- in Sudan, pecificallyn the Kordofan
province, ratherhan n what s now known asUnity Staten theRepublicof SouthSudan.
Wenote hat n all negotiationselated o the demarcation f theborders,ncludingthose acilitatedby
theAfricanUnionHigh Level mplementation anel AUHIP), t hasalwaysbeenSouthSudan's
position hat hepartiescommit to immediatedeadlineso demarcatehealreadydelineated reas f the
torder, and hat oncurrently thedisputedareas ereferred o a time-boundntemationalarbitration
mechanisrn. outhSudan asalwaysconsistently dvocatedhroughouthese rocesseshatPanthou e
designate4 sa disputedarea equiringsettlementhrougharbitration thishasbeendoneorally and n
writtensubmissionsabledby SouthSudaneseelegatesndsharedwith theAUHIP.
Wereiteratehat contrary o whathasbeenwidely reportedn the media,while the2009decisionof the
permanentCourtof Arbitration placedPanthou Heglig) outsideof theAbyei area, t did not rule onthe
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borderbetweenSudanand SouthSudan.SouthSudanaccepted, ndcontinueso accept,hePCAruling
as t applieso theAbyei Area. However, he statusof Panthouemainsundetermined ndSudan's
tefusal o acceptSouthSudan's laimdoesnot make t any essdisputed.
Wecall for theurcontested artsof theJanuary tt,1956bordero be demarcated,n accordanceith
thedemarcation greementnitialed by theparties n March2012thatis nowready or final signature.
SouthSudan, s iwas in March, s ready o sign he agreementmmediatelynd o beginwork.
panthou Hegtig),andall otherdisputedareasmust beconcurrentlysubmittedo international
arbitration.
In order o reduceensionand mprovesecurity,SouthSudanmaintainsts belief hat t is essentialor a
neutral orce,mandated y theUN, to have apresencen theborderareas.SouthSudanwelcomeshe
decision y theUNSC o supportheproposedointBorderVerificationandMonitoringMechanism
(JBVMMjthroughUNISFA,but it hasconcernshat hemission's elatively imitedmandatemaybe
insufficient or themaintenance f securityat theborder. Wewouldurge heAUHIP, with thesupport
of theUN and ts memberstates,o considerenhancedmechanismshatwould help theparties o
implementhe agreementnthe SafeDemilitarizedBorderZoneacrossheentiretyof theNorth/South
border.
Recent vents lsounderlineheneed or an urgentandcomprehensiveolution o address ll the
remaining hallengesacedby Sudan ndSouthSudan. nstabilitycould eoccurunless he outstanding
issues etween udan ndSouthSudan readdressedn a comprehensiveanner.We therefore all
upon he lternational community o revise ts approachn consultationwith thepartiesandset a clear
deadlineor the inalizationof acomprehensivegreement.Wehavecalled or thisfor manymonths
withoutacknowledgement.ecent vents nly emphasizehe urgencyof our call.
Wecannotstress noughhe mportanceof internationalsupport or a comprehensiveolution. It will
notbe enougho return o negotiationsonductedn apiecemealashion,whichdo not addressheroot
causes f security hallengesacing he wo states.Whilereiteratingurcommitmento theprincipleof
unconditional ialoguewith Sudan,we would ike to takeapauseo engagen somecritical eviewand
reflectionwith our nternational artners n the current acilitation/mediation echanism.Webelieve
thatamore obustntemational ngagements required.Ultimatelyonlya renewed ndhigh-profile
internationaleffort will lead o a comprehensivegreement nd ntemationally-monitoredmechanisms
to guaranteeheirsuccessfulmplementation.
Your Excellency,Sudanwants o drag us nto war. This is notwhat the nternationalcommunitywants
and his is certainlynot the future thatSouthSudanwants or ournewnation. A negotiated ettlements
obtainable.SouthSudanemains ommittedo thenotionof two viablestatesiving sideby side n
peace, ndwill work towardsapeacefulesolution f all theoutstandingssues.Wepray hat offrcial
statementseing eportedn thepressn which President ashirs still choosinghediscourse f
agglessionatherhanpeaceful egotiation reexaggerated.
Again,we callupon heUNSC o exploreandemployall necessary easureso bringSudan ack o the
negotiatingable-- not weeks rom now, but at this verymomentwhen ives can still bepreserved nd
bothpartiel candemonstratemutually sincerecommitmentso implementameaningfulagreement.
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I wouldbermost rateful f this lettercouldbe sharedwith themembers f the SecurityCouncil.
Please ccept, ourExcellency,heassurancesf my highest onsideration.
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