Transcript copy: Media Briefing on the UN Security Council  24 April 2008, Union Buildings, Pretoria, by Xolisa Mabhongo, Chief Director: Multilateral Affairs

We are now towards the end of our second Presidency of the Security Council.  I will highlight some of the issues currently being addressed by the Council in this period.

AU / UN High Level panel

Following the successful holding of the high-level debate of the UNSC last week chaired by President Mbeki the focus now will be on the implementation of the outcomes, in particular the decision to establish an AU / UN Panel of distinguished persons, to consider in-depth modalities on how to support peacekeeping operations undertaken by regional organisations, in particular, start-up funding, equipment and logistics and also lessons learned from past and current African Union peacekeeping efforts.  We wish to stress the importance we attach to this decision and we would hope that this panel will be appointed soon.  South Africa will therefore work with other relevant parties towards the early implementation of the decision.

Sudan

Beginning today the Security Council will be discussing the issue of the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) which expires on 30 April 2008. UNMIS supports the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan.  Key provisions of the CPA include: the demarcation of borders between the North and the South; addressing the issue of the Abyei Boundary; wealth sharing; the provision of security; and preparations for the elections. 

The discussion in the UNSC will also focus on the question of whether there is a need to adapt the existing mandate of UNMIS in order for the Mission to enhance its support to the Sudan for the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

While there is cooperation between the parties in the Sudan on a number of aspects of the CPA, the sense is also that the parties are making rather slow progress on the major outstanding issues.  These issues include the status of oil-rich Abyei region, demarcation of the 1956 border between North and South Sudan and the completion of the security arrangements and elections.

South Africa has always stressed that the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is one of the necessary conditions for the achievement of lasting peace in the Sudan.  We therefore continue to urge the parties to fulfil their obligations in this regard and to ensure a speedier implementation.

Cote d’Ivoire

On 29 April 2008 the Security Council will also hold discussions on the situation in Cote d’Ivoire.

Resolution 1795(2008), among others, requested the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council regularly informed, in particular on the preparation of the electoral process, including registration of voters, and notably by providing to the Council a report in this regard during April 2008.

In this connection it is noted that the political and security situation in Cote d’Ivoire has improved.  Progress was also noted in the recovery of the economy and the identification of the population, which has been at the heart of the conflict.  

In preparation for the UNSC discussion the UN Secretary-General has observed that the progress that has been made in Cote d’Ivoire is due to, inter alia, the sustained partnership between President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Soro; national ownership of the peace process; President Campaore of Burkina Faso’s effective facilitation role; as well as the technical and material support provided by Cote d’Ivoire’s international partners.

It is also noted, however, that the progress achieved thus far remains vulnerable to the risk of serious reversal if tangible and concrete progress is not registered in the areas of disarmament; dismantling the militias; the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants; the reunification of the country; and the full restoration of the State authority throughout the country. It has been noted however that many of these processes are lagging behind as a result of technical, logistical and financial resources.

Elections in Cote d’Ivoire are scheduled to take place on 30 November 2008.

Western Sahara

Another topical issue is the discussion on the extension of the mandate of the  MINURSO (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) which also expires on 30 April.

You will recall that, pursuant to UNSC resolutions 1754 and 1783, four rounds of direct negotiations were held between the two parties to the dispute, Morocco and Frente POLISARIO.  The four rounds of talks held to date by the two sides under the auspices of the UN have been characterised by the two parties stating their positions and so far no compromise has been reached.  But both parties have indicated their willingness to ‘stay-the-course’ of negotiations and the Council has repeatedly echoed the SG’s sentiments that the talks should move into a more ‘intense and substantive phase of negotiations’.

The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Mr Peter Walsum, proposed a series of confidence-building mechanisms (CBMs) as well as thematic issues such as governance / administration and natural resources to both parties.     

South Africa, however, does not share the conclusions made by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General when he basically told the Security Council, in his personal capacity, on Monday that he saw no hope for the independence of Western Sahara. We think this view is unfortunate and in any case contradicts well established principle of self determination for the people of Western Sahara as recognised by the Security Council in its previous decisions.  The UNSC has always reaffirmed its commitment to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.  

Our hope therefore is that the UNSC, as it considers the renewal of the mandate, will be guided by the frameworks that it has established on this matter – in particular the recognition of the goal of self determination by the people of Western Sahara.               

Middle East

This is a monthly agenda item of the Security Council. The consultations between Council members that took place yesterday on the Middle East were once again closed to the wider UN membership, although the Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ms Angela Kane, did deliver an important statement during a public briefing.

In this statement, which we will circulate at the end of the briefing, the UN Secretariat provides disturbing new information on the impact of the Israeli military siege on Gaza and the manipulation of fuel supplies and attacks on fuel depots on the already grave humanitarian situation. The UN warns that as of today, if Israel does not reverse its policies, the UN will be forced to discontinue its food assistance to 650 000 Palestinian refugees as well as its garbage collection services for half a million people in Gaza. The lack of fuel has also had an adverse impact on water and sanitation and there are obvious health risks associated with the ongoing flow of untreated sewerage into the Mediterranean Sea. Israel also continues to refuse the UN permission, despite its assurances to the contrary, to allow the delivery of materials for UN humanitarian infrastructure projects in Palestine.

We are disappointed that the Council also continues to fail to take any actions in response to these developments in the Middle East in particular the sharply deteriorating humanitarian and security situation on the ground.

South Africa and the other Non-Aligned Movement countries therefore continue to press the Council to discharge its duty with respect to international peace and security and to take decisions to address the situation in the Middle East. In our interventions in the Security Council, like other NAM Security Council members, we repeatedly condemn the killing of civilians, whether they are Israelis or Palestinians.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions: There was reportedly as a result of the intervention in this meeting you’ve just referred to, because of this intervention by the Libyan ambassador, there was a walkout by three Western powers, Belgium and Costa Rica.  What was our position on the view that the position in Gazza could be compared to Nazi concentration camps?  Did we respond in any way or voice any view in one way or another on that?

Answer:  It’s true that indeed there was a walkout yesterday in the closed meeting.  South Africa, as you know, since we are the President of the Security Council we are chairing the Security Council during this month.  There was an attempt to have the Security Council comment on the grave humanitarian security situation in the Middle East yesterday.

There was a proposal that was presented which was not acceptable to some of the members of the Security Council, some of the P5 members.  So that attempt failed.  That is why we keep saying that we are worried and concerned that the Security Council fails to take action on the situation in the Middle East.

As you say, indeed there was this walkout by some delegations after the statements that were made by the delegation of Libya.  South Africa did not comment because as the Chair all we have to do is to try to bring consensus and ensure that the meeting runs smoothly.

We do not find an incident like this helpful because instead of the Security Council being focussed on doing something and addressing the concrete situation in the Middle East which has been aptly described by the UN itself as being very grave.  So we don’t find it helpful that instead of focusing on that, the Council gets distracted in the manner in which what happened yesterday, where some members of the Security Council decided to stage a walk out.

Question:  On the issue of the Saharawi people, these two resolutions you mentioned, surely they are even stronger than just calling for negotiations between the two people because they recognise the right of the people to self-governance.  And it has been so many years.  Why is it that the UN Security Council is not taking sterner measures, whether in the form of sanctions, against Morocco to try and impress upon them that it is serious about this?

Answer:  What happened last year with the passage of these two resolutions, the way we saw it, it was a very important development.  After many years we now had an opportunity through these two resolutions for the two parties to negotiate directly.

This has been one of the main contentious issues in the context of the conflict in Western Sahara to determine who exactly are the parties most involved.

So after many years where the Security Council has not been able to come up to this determination, last year it finally reached the determination that for progress to happen in this situation, let the two parties, and the two parties were defined clearly it’s Morocco and Western Sahara.  Let them sit together and have direct negotiations.

I understand the point you are making, indeed in many quarters there is a level of frustration at the slow pace of the resolution of the situation in Western Sahara.  However, what has been positive with the Security Council intervention last year is the fact that we now have these direct negotiations which have not taken place in many years.

So far there have been four direct negotiations.  As you know with these types of negotiations, after four rounds of negotiations sometimes you don’t expect that there would be major breakthroughs.  It could be talks about talks and all of that.  But at least there is this stage that we’ve reached which was not there before.

As South Africa, as well as other members of the Security Council, we therefore want to encourage the parties to do much more substantive negotiations. 

It is also important that the Security Council has recognised that the end-goal is the issue of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.  This has been a fundamental point for South Africa.  That’s why we say we disagree with Mr Walsum when he basically says that he sees little hope that this will be achieved.  We think it’s achievable.  It might take a while but this is the most cherished desire of the people of Western Sahara, and indeed many people all over the world who support the cause of the Saharawis who feel that they’ve got to have self-determination.

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
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24 April 2008