Madam President,
Sierra Leone acknowledges the significance of co-penning this important draft resolution with the United Kingdom and commends the United Kingdom for the diligent and tireless efforts in the negotiations, including to widely consult as co-penholders.
Sierra Leone, however, regrets that the draft resolution on the protection of civilians was not adopted despite genuine efforts made to find a consensus among member States. We also regret that by the non-adoption of the draft resolution, the Security Council, for now, has been unable to act on the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General on the protection of civilians.
Sierra Leone co-penned this resolution not only to respond to the devastating situation for civilians in the Sudan, but also due to parallels between the violence and international humanitarian law violations in Sudan and our challenging experience during our civil conflict, particularly the devastating impacts on women and children.
We recall the UN Security Council’s 1999 decision to entrust UNAMSIL’s with the protection of civilians mandate in Sierra Leone, marking a turning point in our conflict, and ultimately leading to the Lome Peace Accord.
Let us be clear, the draft resolution did not contain language to mandate troop deployment in Sudan, in line with the Secretary-General’s assessment. It, however, would have conveyed solidarity and established mechanisms to prevent further atrocities.
Sierra Leone will continue to engage with other Council members on the protection of civilians and other ongoing human rights violations in Sudan
Madam President,
As a member State and elected member of the Council that has endured civil conflict, we were compelled by the moral imperative to advocate for civilians, including Sudan’s civilains. We continue to call on all parties to cease hostilities, engage in dialogue, and commit to a Sudanese-led, inclusive political process, as emphasized by the Secretary-General.
Finally, we reaffirm our support for the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and the African Union High-Level Panel on Sudan in advancing a lasting peace through inclusive dialogue.
I thank you.
