Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

At UN, Sudan Statement Delayed on Abyei, Darfur DPP & No “Robust," only "Fully Implement," Mandate

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 20, updated twice April 21 -- After a full Sudan day in the UN Security Council, the members were not able to reach agreement on a Presidential Statement. As they left past 7 pm, two Permanent and two non-Permanent members told Inner City Press divergent stories.

  The US, it emerges, holds the pen on Darfur as well as (South) Sudan. The claim is that there are few disagreements, just a matter of how it's written down on paper.

  But three other delegations disagree. One summarized that the disagreement is about two approaches to the Darfur process: the African Union approach or a “more staged approach with conditionality.” With more detail, Inner City Press was told that the Permanent Five members will confer with South Africa.

  The split, as convention has it, puts Russia and China wanting to keep Khartoum's Darfur Peace Process separate from the Doha process, described as dominated by the US as well as the Arab Group. They also are said not to want a list in the statement of preconditions to the DPP beginning.

A separate dispute exists about the Abyei paragraph, with African countries not wanting the paragraph to prejudge the outcome.

Not only Russia but also Brazil don't want the word “robust” in the statement, as a description of UNAMID's mandate.

  While there is a philosophical discussion of “robustness” taking place in the UN's C-34 committee, it seems clear that the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire using attack helicopters against Laurent Gbagbo's forces, and the action in Libya under Resolution 1973 (on which Russia and Brazil both abstained) make more pronounced their opposition to robust in this statement.

Ban and Bashir, Darfur Peace Process not shown

While Russia in particular is being described as obstructionist, on April 19 on Yemen and with others on April 20 on Sudan, it is pointed out that the US was also absolutist recently when, on the situation in Gaza, the US simply announced it wouldn't entertain any draft statement on a Friday. What goes around comes around.

And what will the US now do and stand up for on Sudan? Watch this site.

Update of 8:33 pm April 20 -- the meeting has broken up. "Robusto," one Deputy Permanent Representative joked to Inner City Press. Another said that "basic understandings" have been reached, now seeking instructions -- or approval.

  But another Deputy Permanent Representative coming out, when Inner City Press asked "is robust still in," said, "I really don't know."

Update of April 21, 10 am -- it looks like "robust" is out, replaced by a call for UNAMID to "fully implement" its mandate... Alternatives are to be circulated beyond the P-5 and South Africa to the other Council members.

Update of April 21, 11:30 am -- Inner City Press asked US Ambassador Susan Rice if "robust" is still in the Sudan statement. We're negotiating, she said, adding, that's hardly the most important issue.  As we reported, Khartoum sees the DPP being separate from Doha and any conditions as key.
 
  But what will the US do about it? Watch this site.