Council Consultations on Sudan and South Sudan
Tomorrow (8 September) Council members are expecting to be briefed on Sudan and South Sudan by DPKO Assistant Secretary-General, Edmond Mullet, and Deputy Director of the Coordination and Response Division in OCHA, Philippe Lazzarini. The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, will also brief by video-conference.
It seems that Mullet will refer to the current situation in Sudan and on the liquidation of UNMIS as well as the deployment details of UNISFA. A key part of the briefing is likely to focus on the border-monitoring mechanism in Abyei as agreed between the parties on 30 June. It appears that following the briefing Council members may begin discussions on how to amend UNISFA’s mandate to allow for a monitoring mission to deploy.
Lazzarini is likely to focus on the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state. The Council’s last briefing on South Kordofan was on 19 August by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, and Mullet. Following an 8 August briefing on Sudan and South Sudan by Under-Secretary Generals for peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs, Alain Le Roy and Valerie Amos, Council members began discussions on a draft press statement on South Kordofan circulated by the US.
However, differences over both language and substance seem to have led to it being put aside. Given that the Council continues to be divided it appears unlikely that it will take any action on either South Kordofan or the Blue Nile state following the briefing.
Johnson is likely to focus on the violence in South Sudan and how it is being handled by the government. Recent fighting between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities in Jonglei left 600 dead and possibly 1000 injured.
