YouSaid · the spoken record

Lieutenant General Ngondi

lines on the record: 51
first: 2018-05-09
most recent: 2019-06-18
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I will turn lastly to the question of what we do when there are differences between parties, which I believe is in reference to the parties to the conflict. I want to underscore the most important aspect, which is dialogue and diplomatic effort, because it is through diplomatic efforts - people sitting down together and discussing the way forward - that final settlements are reached. Political dialogue, agreement and togetherness are crucial. It is the people themselves who are causing the problems, and they are the same ones who can solve problems by sitting down together, talking and agreeing on a way forward, which is how everything will be okay. Therefore, when parties have differences, they should seek each other out, discuss from their different points of View and come together until they reach an agreement.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The representative of Belgium asked about pulling out without political success, for lack ofa better word. In my assessment, the political pillar is somewhat stalled and should be jump-started. The current situation is a little challenging in that regard, and work needs to done there. Otherwise, all the UNAMID components are well integrated. We have an integrated approach to addressing issues, and we trust that we are all doing our part in a coordinated manner, from the leadership to the tactical level. However, I have to say that since we started the drawdown, some of the civilian elements and their useful services have been terminated, and we are really missing them, particularly the civil- affairs staff, who have eyes and ears on the ground in the communities.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“I believe that even in the final stages it will continue to be done responsibly and will be supported by the greatest possible diplomatic efforts to ensure that the people reach agreement on the way forward for their country. The representative of Equatorial Guinea asked about the peacekeeping force within the communities, and I will say again that our uniformed troops do not have skills in other areas such as civil affairs. They are more concerned with physical security. But as a mission, we are integrated with civilian components and experts in other areas, and we work together so that we engage the communities, as well as the Government, in various areas. That collaboration should continue so as to ensure that the communities are engaged and well educated on what they need to do in various areas for their own survival and welfare.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“We began in peaceful areas and are now left with the problematic area, although there are no problems on its outskirts, and that is a problem that requires a political solution rather than a military one. As I said in my briefing, the tripartite coordination mechanism invited everyone to the table, including the armed movements, but one of the movements has remained persistently uncommitted. Getting people to the table is an area that requires political effort, because everything must be sorted out through dialogue and the way forward must be agreed on. That is what we are seeing. But as far as the drawdown is concerned, I believe it has consistently been responsible, especially because we have seen no recurrences of hostilities within the areas where the mission has drawn down.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“With respect to the safety of the peacekeepers, the Cruz report has been important for us. As Mr. Lacroix said, it is important for the Department of Peace Operations to be provided with enough resources to ensure that it can perform. I just want to say that if a time came when it seemed as ifUNAMID could replace the Government, it would be time for us to exit and leave the country to take ownership of itself. The representative of Indonesia asked what challenges we see and what we need for a responsible drawdown. I think that the mandate has always been clear for us uniformed personnel. We listen to what we are told and implement it. The drawdown has been responsibly conducted since we began it. We have been clear on that.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“As for the military, what we need from the international community is for the troops to be trained on a variety of cross-cutting aspects, which is important in the areas of gender and human rights, for instance, so that when the troops are in further areas where they cannot move with civilian components, they can still advocate and propagate for issues of civil society, gender and human rights and any others that can help communities. That is something that can be discussed with Member States to ensure that their troops are well trained on those issues even before they are deployed to mission areas. The representative of South Africa asked whether we leave a vacuum when we hand over sites. I want to repeat that I have already discussed the issue of sites.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“There could also be clashes between the SLA and the Government, but they would be contained within a certain area of Jebel Marra. With regard to sexual violations and human rights violations generally, I believe that it is important to have human rights monitoring capability in the area. The representative of the Dominican Republic mentioned collaboration with young people and the general population, which I agree is important. As I said before, when we started the drawdown, most of the components whose job it is to interact with the people, particularly civil society, among others, were removed. It is important to interact with the population, including young people, and promote capacity-building measures for their livelihoods. The governance section does a lot of good work in that regard.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The farmers feel all right about the presence of the Rapid Support Forces in certain areas because it means there will not be any armed people there. On the other hand, based on the Rapid Support Forces' history, some people are not very comfortable with them. Are new clashes possible? I look at this issue from two perspectives. My concern is a military threat from clashes between the armed group that has a political agenda, the SLA, and the Government. Those are possible, and they break out once in a while. The other aspect is banditry activities - the cattle rustling, looting and criminality that happen everywhere. With the drawdown, those clashes might or might not happen, and the same goes for banditry. Without the rule of law and governance, those crimes are likely to continue.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The representative of Germany mentioned a number of important things, but to start with, the possibility of handing over the team sites to the Rapid Support Forces is something that will be worked on but will not happen. There are two sides to the coin with regard to the Rapid Support Forces. There are areas where the people themselves say that it is better to have them around because it is keeps the peace and protects them from armed groups in a defined area. They therefore feel that there are areas where the Rapid Support Forces are useful to the people and are embraced because they help them, particularly the farming communities, because they do not have their own weapons, while there are nomads who roam about and do have weapons.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The representative of China asked what we should change in the mandate to ensure our success. As I said, the only issue relates to the political pillar, which is not very clear owing to the ongoing political situation and whether or not we might have to exit before it is resolved. We need to find an arrangement that will enable us to address that pillar through negotiations. As far as I can see, within the current political situation, in my honest opinion it would be better to consider the Darfur issue as part of the Sudan situation as a whole rather than separately, but that is up to the Sudanese people to decide. As far as our mission is concerned right now, that is the only area where we see no clarity of direction. We leave it to the Security Council to decide how to proceed on that pillar as we move forward.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“With regard to the question from the representative of Cote d'Ivoire, as I said in my briefing, in terms of cooperation with the authorities regarding armed groups in the areas under their control, that is the only area in which people are not benefiting from UNAMID services, because of the denial of access. The area where the armed groups are is limited and contained. There was an exception to the denial of access on one occasion, in September of last year, when there was a landslide in that area and the Government allowed us access to it to help the victims of the landslide. The argument would be that as we are enemies neither of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) nor of the Government, UNAMID peacekeepers should be allowed to go anywhere without problems, given that we negotiate and talk neutrally.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The representative of France asked what the Security Council can do to help us enhance our work there in terms of cooperation. In that regard, it is important to ensure that both parties, UNAMID and the Government and its authorities, respect the mandate and the status of force agreement. It is as simple as that. As I said, there are two essential elements for that cooperation - trust and political will. We need that to ensure that our work can be done, and that is where we need the help. With regard to the behaviour of the peacekeepers in the area, this mission has been perfect. For instance, we have not had a single allegation of sexual exploitation or abuse on the part of our uniformed personnel for the past four years, which is quite excellent.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Working with communities and other non-security Government institutions, with the exception of the police, we have some idea of who the appropriate people will be to take over those team sites for civilian use. That will be put back on the table once we can ensure that the team sites will benefit the communities in which they are located and can be used by the communities, including universities, polytechnic institutions, hospitals and anything else that the communities have in mind. While we are supposed to hand back the spaces to the Government, which is where UNAMID got them from in the first place, the arrangement is that they will be returned to the community and not to the people in uniforms. That is why the decree has to be contested so that we can go back to where we were.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The Government is in full control of the area, and it is very difficult for concentrated armed elements to attack our camps without the Government identifying their signature. The problem we had was with the people themselves wanting to loot. We have said how we are tackling that and have put an adequate number of troops at every team site to ensure that we can do whatever is necessary. With regard to the question by the representative of the United States, the Transitional Military Council has indicated that it will rescind its decree, although that has not been officially communicated. The question was about how we proceed from there. From the outset it has been agreed with the authorities that the team sites will be for civilian use.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Turning to the issue of the peaceful transition of power raised by the representative of Russia, the arrangements for that transition are quite elaborate. That is why the State liaison functions are there. We believe that it will be a peaceful transition, and it is being carried out as well as possible on the ground. As far as our safety is concerned, there are indeed valuable lessons to be learned from Lieutenant General dos Santos Cruz's report on Improving security of United Nations peacekeepers. I should start by saying that the situation in the Sudan is somewhat better than in other areas, because the Government has always dominated the area, and unlike in other missions, we do not see deliberate attacks on the mission itself.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“It is especially important to realize that the Sudan is a vast area, and that it is therefore vital to expand State authority to reach all the people, as well as the institutions that are responsible for the rule of law and maintaining order and justice. Lastly, with regard to development, while it is not an immediate part of peacekeeping, the poverty in Darfur has a direct influence on the incidence of violations, as they are what results when people struggle for their livelihoods in the absence of proper governance throughout the country and have to compete for resources, with all of that compounded by arms proliferation and weapons falling into the wrong hands. That is what makes the situation especially difficult.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“We should not detach ourselves from the community again. The civil-affairs and rule-of-law personnel and all the other components that reach out to the communities and educate them on the beneficial purpose of our presence there must engage with them and the Government with regard to their primary responsibility to ensure peace and order in the area - which they are doing - so as to ensure that such incidents never recur. Turning to the issue of violations of human rights raised by the representative of Peru, it is a major challenge. Our priority is to increase rule-of-law and human rights capacities, particularly with regard to monitoring human rights issues in the territories and, more important, educating the people and the Government on capabilities for ensuring law and order and respect for human rights.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The substantive sections of components of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) work with the communities. Based on the experience of seeing team sites handed over to benefit the men in uniform, I tend to think that it is they who are also benefiting from that. Lastly, as I said, the militarization of the Government has given the leadership of the State to uniformed officers who perhaps do not have the necessary channels of communication to the population to explain to them the usefulness of those team sites if they are left the way they are and handed over. This was an unfortunate incident, and the lesson that we have learned is that we must ensure that we have adequate capacity to protect ourselves to the best of our ability, depending on what we have at our disposal, and then to engage.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“I think that is because of the response not only from the mission itself, but from the international community, including here at Headquarters, to the decree that was issued. Moving to the question posed by the representative of the United Kingdom regarding the impact of reforms and what we are seeing on the ground, I say that decentralizing resources and decision-making is always good. It makes it easy for us to operate with our resources and to make decisions. As for the lessons we can learn from the looting of El Geneina, that was an unfortunate incident. The investigations are going on right now, but the El Geneina incident was unfortunate because the substantive section stopped operations in El Geneina as far back as 1 December 2018, and the facility has therefore remained there without people working with the communities.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“So it does have an effect, now more so given the militarization of the Government and the fact that the State is being run by people in uniform, which creates a disconnect with the management of the population itself and which is what we see as having a big impact in the area. With regard to the suspension of the handover of the camps, it is our own camps that we are withdrawing from. I believe that this is something that will be worked out. From what I have gathered from what the Transitional Military Council has said, those that are with the Rapid Support Forces will be given to the communities for civilian use and not kept for the Rapid Support Forces. I therefore think the suspension is just a matter of time while these issues are sorted out.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The problem of denials of access in terms of visiting the entire area, particularly the limited area that is under the control of the armed movement, is the only area that is an obstacle to the full implementation of the mandate. I would therefore answer that the current mandate as outlined in resolution 2429 (2018) can indeed be implemented pragmatically, The situation in Khartoum does have some impact on operations in Darfur, but not as much as in other areas. That is because whatever is happening in Khartoum, in Darfur there are those who support the Government and those who support the opposition.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Lieutenant General Ngondi: I thank the speakers and the members of the Council for their kind words and commendations. We appreciate the encouragement we have heard today. There have been a lot of questions. I think it would be unfair to the Council members who have taken the time to ask them ifI did not answer them all, and I will therefore try to respond to each and every question addressed to me. First, with regard to the question posed by the representative of Poland as to whether the current mandate will allow us to work pragmatically, the short answer is yes. The four aspects that I mentioned as the main issues of the mandate are very clear and are functioning well, with the exception of the political pillar, which, because of the current political situation, has stalled. The rest are going well.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Recently, fulfilling this obligation proved challenging when the El Geneina super camp in West Darfur was looted and vandalized during the handover. Following that unfortunate incident, the Mission and the Government are working together to ensure that such an incident will never recur. In conclusion, we are of the View that cooperation between UNAMID and the Republic of the Sudan has been cordial. The few setbacks that I have highlighted can be rectified, as long as there is trust and political will. The Sudanese authorities have assured their cooperation with and support for UNAMID operations, including the facilitation of a smooth exit, in accordance with resolution 2429 (2018). It is reiterated that cooperation with host States and other partners is crucial for mandates to be implemented successfully.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“It is commendable that the Government granted UNAMID large spaces where team sites and super camps were established. However, in the recent past local communities have been demanding compensation for their land from UNAMID instead of engaging their Government. Secondly, the status of forces agreement provides for freedom of movement in the territory in execution of the mandate. As mentioned earlier, the Government has generally allowed free movement, including inter-state flights, in areas under its control but denies UNAMID access to areas under control of the armed movements, citing security reasons. Lastly, the Government is obliged to protect UNAMID assets and facilities when requested by the Head of Mission.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“However, the current political situation has caused the process to stall. The last pillar is support for mediation of intercommunal conflict, including measures to address the root causes. While there has been tremendous effort in promoting peaceful coexistence, the land ownership problem that is at the heart of the Darfur conflict has yet to be sufficiently addressed. Indeed, it is among the main reasons for laxity in the return of internally displaced persons return, while others are insecurity and lack of basic services. I now turn to the status of forces agreement, which guides the conduct of peacekeepers and relations between the Mission and the host State. There are three main areas of cooperation. First is the provision of premises and facilities for UNAMID to stay in and operate from.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“However, there has been access denial in the limited area controlled by the armed movements, in particular the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid, except on one occasion in September 2018, when ajoint humanitarian mission was successful in visiting and assisting victims ofa landslide incident in eastern Jebel Marra. The Government cited its inability to guarantee security to the peacekeepers as the reason for the denial. The third pillar is about mediation between the Government of the Sudan and the non-signatory armed movements. Under the previous regime, two of the non- signatory movements and the Government signed a pre-negotiation agreement, while one armed movement remained uncommitted. It is important to note that the Transitional Military Council called on all armed movements to join the national negotiations.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Recently, the Transitional Military Council issued a decree to the effect that in future team sites must be handed over to the Rapid Support Forces, which are part of the military wing. This led to the suspension of the further closure and handover of sites until further clarity is obtained. The second pillar is the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel and the facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The Government of the Sudan has largely cooperated with the Mission in the implementation of this pillar, especially in areas under its control.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“These interventions are aimed at addressing challenges facing the four Darfur states, where UNAMID and the United Nations country team have the comparative advantages to work together based on analysis. These include land, enhanced dispute-resolution mechanisms and awareness of tenure rights, intercommunal conflict over water and other scarce resources, and the return of internally displaced persons and refugees. The drawdown, closure of team sites and handover to the Government have been proceeding in a timely manner. However, not all team sites are being used for civilian purposes, and authorities cite institutional incapacities and the need for protecting the facilities.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The first entails the closure and handover of team sites for civilian use, the drawdown of the peacekeepers and the eventual exit by June 2020. The previous and current Governments of the Sudan assured UNAMID of their cooperation and facilitation of the mission's operations and smooth exit. As part of the transition process, UNAMID - jointly with United Nations agencies, funds and programmes - is implementing state liaison functions in four states of Darfur, covering four priorities areas of the rule of law, durable solutions for displaced populations and host communities, human rights, capacity-building and immediate service delivery to displaced people.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The situation has impacted the operations of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The importance of cooperation between peacekeeping missions and host States for the successful implementation of mandates cannot be over emphasized. For better communication and coordination, the Government of the Sudan has in place a UNAMID unit within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, while UNAMID maintains its Khartoum Liaison Office, from which the Head of Mission operates. This presentation will cover the cooperation and relations between UNAMID and the Republic of the Sudan with regard to mandate implementation, as provided for in resolution 2429 (2018) and the status of forces agreement, respectively. UNAMID's mandate includes four main pillars.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“Lieutenant General Ngondi: It is humbling to make this presentation on cooperation with host States. The Republic of the Sudan has been going through a difficult political time since mid-December of last year. We have seen a revolution that has led to the dissolution of the Government and its militarization, as well as the subsequent deposition of the President and his replacement with the Transitional Military Council in April. Negotiations for a transitional arrangement to transfer power to a civilian-led Government collapsed following the events of 3 June. The Transitional Military Council announced elections to be held in nine months' time. The African Union suspended the Sudan from participating in the organization's affairs on 6 June. Efforts to bring negotiations back on track are ongoing.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8552 (2019) · source
“The only challenges are the places where we have some difficulties here and there, where there are restrictions imposed on us - the terrain factor, and the fact that we cannot act as fast as we would like to, that sort of thing. But the mandate is implementable. It has been implemented, including the task of reducing or downsizing and handing over various areas. All those tasks are also implementable because they are well understood and because we have the will and the capacity to fulfil the mandate and as soldiers to obey the instructions we have been given.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The protection-of- civilians aspect is affected by reconfiguration because we are downsizing while the capabilities of the Government and the other humanitarian organizations are not enough to take over for us. That is the effect of reconfiguration. But we will never be there forever. We will get out. Lastly, with regard to the question posed by the President in her capacity as the representative of Poland as to whether our mandate is implementable, the answer is that it is implementable because it is understandable. Its components are very simple and understandable and are therefore implementable. They have been implemented.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The representative of Sweden asked again about how the reconfiguration affects the protection of civilians. As I said, it is a huge area to cover, with few personnel, a small footprint. That is the issue. With the reconfiguration, we are not everywhere. As soon as we downsize, we leave some areas, reducing the footprint of delivery to those who benefit from our services. We cannot do everything everywhere. We can only do what we can do with the capabilities that we have. Nobody should think that the military can be under every tree. No, priorities have to be set based on the intensity of the conflict or danger and on the capability that exists - and we must be where we are supposed to be, even though there will be people who will not benefit from our services. That is the danger.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“If those capacities can be improved, we can leave that area and focus on the small area where the real crises are, so as to ensure that such crises do not happen or, if they do happen, to mitigate them, so that the population does not suffer a lot. We therefore have a military presence in those specific areas in adequate numbers, with relevant capabilities, in order to tackle the challenges there in terms of coverage, footprint and terrain. That is where we need to be. Until that is sorted out - by the parties being brought to the table or by declaring a cessation of violence between the two - and until the debate, the negotiation, the dialogue is undertaken and the mediation process gets under way, only then will we see the mission pulling out.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Next, I would like to respond to the question from the representative of the United States. Does the situation in Darfur require a military presence? We have mapped out the area of operations. As I have said before, we know where the military is necessary. The military is necessary where there is a potential for clashes between the Government and parties to the conflict or among other parties in the country, as well as some that are outside the country. Now, that is where we need to be. We are now there as well as elsewhere, but we are only elsewhere because those who are supposed to be there are not available. That is the capacity gap in the Government that I have been talking about, as well as in the humanitarian bodies in the country, which do not have the capacity to do what they are supposed to do, and which is why we are there.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Not everyone is always at those sites - other than those in uniform, the peacekeepers - although civilian components should be there. The integration therefore exists only at two levels, not at field level. That is a question of resources, of what is available. People sometimes do not understand that is where action is needed and that the success of the mission is measured by activities at the lowest tactical level. If, in formulating the mandate and identifying the resources, the ways and means, it can be ensured that all levels are covered, that is good, and any mission will perform in the way it is supposed to. We must therefore be robust in formulating the mandate. We must pursue the process of formulating it with vigour so that we come out with an implementable mandate.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“I tend to think that at the ground level we interact with the population. But the top leadership of the groups that have not come to the table must be persuaded to do so. They must be educated to see that this is the only way to benefit the people whom they profess to lead. Otherwise, they are likely to attract a lot of hostility on the part of the Government, because it will always try to exercise its sovereignty over the territory. With regard to major challenges in performance as a whole, a mission must be integrated, bringing together all competencies in terms of those in uniform as well as civilians with various remits. We have observed that such integration sometimes does not extend to all levels. It exists within the mission headquarters, at the sector level and at the team sites, where the activities are.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“They may be there not because of the conflict but because of other problems, such as drought or intercommunal conflict, which the Government can sort out as long as it has the capability. At the moment we are present in most areas because of a lack of capacity on the part of the Government. However, the area we need to focus on is where there are peacekeeping-related issues and the presence of armed groups, which can attract Government hostility at any time. That is where we need to be present. It is where people have run away from, and if we are present, we will create a pull factor for the IDPs to come from wherever they ran to, return to their own area and start their normal lives again. In general, that is what UNAMID sees, and that is the direction. Where mediation is concerned, somebody has to deal with it.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“That is presumed to be the answer, and it can be given life only by the people who are discussing it. The mission is on its way out. The answer is a smooth transition to ensure that the gains that have been made are not in vain. Secondly, what are the challenges around those four areas? There are a few. For example, where the protection of civilians is concerned, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are registered is more than 1.7 million. There are only a few of us, and we cannot cover every individual. There are areas where we cannot be and areas we must focus on, particularly IDPs who have differences with the Government, which we know can very easily cause a crisis. That is where we need to use our limited capabilities.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Unless something changes, if all factors remain the same, that train is on its way. What we have therefore said very clearly is that what we need next is a very good, detailed transition plan. The transition will try to ensure that the gains that the United Nations has made in the field do not go to waste but are handed over to someone. We pass the baton to someone. That can be the Government, a United Nations country team or civil-society organizations that take on the role of providing basic services, because our mandate is to ensure the protection of all civilians, deliver humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people, assist with community resolution mechanisms and, of course, to support the political aspect, which is mediation between the Government and the parties that have not signed the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“That is why I said, in answer to the specific question from the concept note, that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) was sufficiently robust, because it has the capabilities in terms of the various components put together. If it is sufficiently robust, it will achieve its objective. Having said that, let me turn to the specific questions. First, to respond to the question from the representative of the United Kingdom as to the next step after reconfiguration and the challenges that have been experienced in mandate implementation, it is an open secret that UNAMID is on its way out, having done what it was supposed to do. That process started a long time ago, with the adoption of resolution 2363 (2017), which indicated that direction.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The nearest definition of robustness that we have is being vigorous in pursuit of an objective. "Vigorous" does not necessarily mean using weapons, machinery and so on, but using what is available, depending on what has been configured. Its second meaning is "capable of performing without failure" - the determination to perform, whether by fighting or pursuing other objectives. Robustness is therefore not confined to the field alone. It cuts across the board - from the Security Council to the field and from the field up to Headquarters and Member States. Everyone must ensure robustness and work out what that they want to pursue. If a strategy exists, the objective can be achieved.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“At the end of the day, therefore, they come up with ends, ways and means and mobilize them to undertake an attack. They have a very deliberate strategic implementation mechanism. If our mandates were arrived at through that process, I do not think that we would be having problems. I know that violent situations require rapid action. However, that does not mean that we do not follow up to ensure that a complete decision-making process has been followed from the very start. That can still be followed up. Adequate capability and strategies will therefore have been provided to implement the ways, means and ends. The second issue is robustness. As Force Commanders, we have debated that at length We know that every mission has its unique security and operational challenges. Robustness does not necessarily mean the use of force.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Lieutenant General Ngondi: Before I respond to the specific questions, I should like to make two remarks. First, I am very thankful for the kind words that Security Council members have expressed to us in recognizing the hard work that peacekeepers are doing in the field. Secondly, I appreciate the desire expressed by members to support peacekeepers either as a Council or as individual States. Having listened to the debate, I want to suggest the need to borrow from the military planning and decision-making process. I think there is a gap in our planning and in the formulation of mandates. The military planning and decision-making process requires expert examination in order to understand the situation and to identify what needs to be done and with what strategy.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Challenges, hazards and security threats emerging in the security and operational environment should be mitigated in order to allow the fulfilment of the mandates, as intimated in Santos Cruz report. UNAMID remains grateful for the support accorded by the Council, to Headquarters and other partners in its endeavour to implement its mandate in Darfur, the Sudan.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“That last concerns the support needed from the Security Council to help the mission fulfil its mandate. First, it is recommended that a transition strategy be embedded in the mandate renewal. Lessons learned from missions in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire show that a good transition guarantees that gains made are not made in vain. Secondly, the Government of the Sudan may be persuaded to adhere to the provisions of the status of force agreement and allow UNAMID freedom of movement and unhindered flights in the area of operations. Lastly, the leadership of the armed groups needs to be persuaded to embrace dialogue. In conclusion, peacekeeping missions remain important political tools for finding durable solutions to conflicts.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The mission has all the relevant components and uses an integrated approach in its conduct of operations, in addition to religiously implementing the action plan proposed in the Santos Cruz report. The second is whether the mandate is understandable and implementable. The mandate of UNAMID is anchored on four main pillars: namely, the protection of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian aid, mediation between the Government of the Sudan and non-signatories to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and, lastly, assistance in community resolution mechanisms. Those pillars are simple, understandable and implementable, as long as there is commitment and political will on the part of all parties to the conflict, including the interest groups.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“The remedy lies in capacity-building for public institutions and humanitarian and civil society organizations in order to deliver basic services. Lastly, the proliferation of weapons exacerbates banditry and criminal activities. The ongoing arms- collection campaign by the Government has reduced banditry and criminal activities remarkably. However, the exercise is perceived to be discriminatory. UNAMID encourages the Government to collect illegal arms uniformly. I will now address specific concerns raised in the concept note of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations Force Commanders and Heads of Military Components Conference. The first is whether the mandate is robust enough. It is opined that the mandate of UNAMID, being a peacekeeping mission, is sufficiently robust to achieve its objectives.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source
“Secondly, the existence of armed groups, inside and outside the territory, that are non-signatories to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur also shape the environment. The leadership of those groups needs to be persuaded to embrace dialogue. Thirdly, the intercommunal conflicts over natural resources, mainly between herders and farming communities, are another aspect. Land ownership remains at the heart of the Darfur conflict, and a durable solution for peaceful coexistence among different communities can be found only through embracing dialogue as the first step. Fourthly, banditry and criminality exist owing to poverty, underdevelopment and the absence or inadequacy of law-and-order enforcement capacity.”
2018-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8251 (2018) · source