UN extends the mandate of independent experts on Sudan for one year

03:54 PM Feb, 13 2015
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United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted unanimously on Thursday a resolution extending the mandate of a group of independent experts on sanctions against those involved in crimes in the Darfur region in Western Sudan, for the full year ending in February of next year.
The UNSC “expresses its intent to review the mandate and take appropriate action regarding further extension no later than 12 February 2016” said the resolution which was drafted by the US delegation at the UN.
The text of the resolution underlines Sudanese government’s obligation to seek the approval of the panel for movement of weapons and ammunition into Darfur. It also regretted “routine” conveyance of such materiel by the Sudanese army and affiliated armed groups as it was mentioned by the experts in their report released last January.
The UNSC condemned the attacks on Darfur civilians by government militias and encouraged the panel members to provide the sanctions committee with the names of individuals involved in such violations.
For her part, US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power recalled to the Council that Sudan had prevented the investigation of a mass rape in Tabit while the report released by the Human Rights Watch on the matter confirms it.
Power pointed to the limits of the international organization, saying “the sanctions regime is impotent when the Sudanese government systematically violates it, and the Council cannot agree to impose sanctions on those responsible for the violence and the abuses”.



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February 12 - 2015 NEW YORK

Darfuri child with bullets (Albert González Farran/Unamid)

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution, renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the Sudan Sanctions Committee for an additional 13 months, until 12 March 2016.

Russia and the USA have been negotiating details of the resolution, and made some adjustments. The new resolution strengthens the language regarding restrictions against the transport of weapons and ammunition into Darfur by the Sudanese authorities and government-affiliated armed groups.

It recalls that Sudan is obliged under resolution 1591 to request approval from the Sanctions Committee, in advance of transporting military equipment and supplies into Darfur.

The Experts’ Panel has to share any evidence of potential non-compliance with the assets freeze and travel ban.

Additionally, the resolution condemns the use of camps for Darfuri displaced by armed groups in ways that benefit them, and pose risks to civilians. This also represents a departure from last year’s resolution.

Russia argued that the initially circulated draft version tended to be too critical of the Sudanese government, without sufficiently acknowledging the role of the rebel groups in the violent conflict.

The chairman of the Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Rafael Ramírez (Venezuela) told the Security Council that the Committee was concerned about attacks on civilians and UN personnel, while noting that several Committee members pointed to continued violations of the arms embargo.

(Source: UN, AP)