INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Sudan Sanctions: Chair Briefs a Quiet Council

Published: Mon 21 Sep 2009 08:38 PM
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TAGS: ETTC PGOV PREL SU UNSC
SUBJECT: SUDAN SANCTIONS: CHAIR BRIEFS A QUIET COUNCIL
1. SUMMARY: On September 15, Austrian Perm Rep Mayr-Harting,
chair of the Sudan Sanctions Committee ("1591 Committee")
updated the UN Security Council on the Committee's activities
over the previous ninety days, including the Committee's
informal consultations with the Panel of Experts. Ambassador
Rice stated that the United States is troubled by Sudanese
and Chadian sanctions violations and reports of increased
recruitment of child solders. No other Council members made
statements. END SUMMARY.
2. On September 15, Austrian Perm Rep Mayr-Harting, chair of
the Sudan Sanctions Committee ("1591 Committee") updated the
Council on the Committee's activities over the last ninety
days. Mayr-Harting reported on the Panel of Experts' (POE)
oral briefing to the Committee and highlighted POE findings
(NOTE: the POE is a Security Council-mandated group of
independent experts charged with monitoring and reporting on
Sudan sanctions. END NOTE). The POE's report noted that the
frequency of sanctions violations increased in Darfur during
the reporting period (June 20-September 15, 2009). The POE
said that there was significant consolidation of Darfur rebel
groups under the military leadership of the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) and of Chadian armed groups under the
Union des Forces de la Resistance (UFR), and that JEM and UFR
heavily recruited child solders in Eastern Chad and Darfur.
The POE also documented Sudanese and Chadian Armed Forces
offensive military over-flights in Darfur. According to the
POE, the Government of Sudan is more willing to meet with the
experts but will not answer written requests. Finally,
Meyr-Harting reported that the Committee received a letter
from the UN Secretariat/Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) in response to concerns raised by the Committee over
lack of information sharing and cooperation between the
peacekeeping missions and the POE. DPKO acknowledged these
concerns and is developing formal guidelines to govern
coordination.
3. Ambassador Rice said that the United States is deeply
troubled by the POE's reports of offensive over-flights by
the Sudanese and Chadian Armed Forces, and concerned that
Darfur and Chadian rebel groups are recruiting child
soldiers. Rice commended DPKO's initiative to draft formal
guidelines and reminded all parties that coordination with
the POE is mandated by the Security Council. Finally, Rice
reiterated that the POE can only be effective if member
states respect its mandate.
4. No other Council members made statements.
5. Following the briefing, Ambassador Rice, in her capacity
as Security Council President, delivered statements to the
press on behalf of the Council expressing support for the
Committee's work and looking forward to the POE's final
report (due this month).
RICE
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