Declaração da Delegação do Brasil em reunião do Conselho de Segurança sobre a situação em Abyei - 21 de abril de 2022 (texto em inglês)

Statement by the Delegation of Brazil on the situation in Abyei
April 21st, 2022

Let me begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Special Envoy Tetteh for their briefings, as well as Special Envoy Onanga-Anyanga for his contributions.

I also would like to thank all the UNISFA personnel for the hard, essential work that they have done so far and continue to do daily in the Abyei Area.

Special thanks should be expressed to Ethiopia and the Ethiopian troops and staff officers that have enabled UNISFA’s deployment.

I should also thank Nigeria and Force Commander Sawyerr, in addition to China, Ghana, India, Kenya, Russia, Bolivia, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Uruguay and all the contributing countries that make UNISFA’s work possible.

On this note, I would like to raise three issues.

The first one is the long-term political settlement of the Abyei Area status. Processes, timelines and, most importantly, solutions to reach a common ground will only advance with fair, credible negotiations.

Communications are key to these efforts. This is why we should support not only additional talks between South Sudan and Sudan but also further contacts between the two parties at different levels. Domestic challenges in each country should not derail bilateral dynamics that have led to friendlier relations in recent years. Sudanese and South Sudanese leaders may seize this bilateral openness to make progress towards a political settlement on Abyei.

The second issue that I will highlight is the regional dimension of these negotiations. The Secretary-General has appropriately encouraged the African Union to intensify its mediation efforts.

If the parties are willing to resume the consultations of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee, the African Union has the legitimacy to facilitate and support both the political and the logistical aspects of it. It is encouraging to notice that the United Nations is poised to contribute to these efforts, as the Secretary-General clearly stated in his recent report. If support from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region is available, then a subregional dimension could be reinforced and additional channels of negotiation be created.

I would like to comment on a third issue, which is the situation on the ground. Frequent cycles of violence in the Abyei Area make humanitarian assistance and protection of civilians dangerous.

Moreover, it is extremely concerning that more than seventy per cent of local children are out of school. This figure sums up the local human rights situation, as well as the substantial challenges that the local population face in Abyei.

We are encouraged by the fact that UNISFA conducted a broad human-rights assessment in March. The positive developments that enabled such scrutiny, such as the issuance of visas, should be stimulated.

I will conclude by stressing Brazil`s support to Special Envoy Tetteh.

Thank you.