BY
H.E MR. MUSA TIMOTHY KABBA
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
OF SIERRA LEONE
Mr. President,
I thank you for convening this meeting to discuss the security situation in Ukraine at the request of six council members.
I thank the Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres for his comprehensive and sobering briefing.
As the war in Ukraine enters its 941st day, Sierra Leone remains deeply concerned about the continuous aerial attacks on heavily populated areas in cities and towns, causing untold suffering to civilians who find themselves trapped in this conflict.
Sierra Leone takes note of the Ukraine letter of 19th September 2024, reporting on a guided aerial attack on a geriatric home in Sumy on the 19th of September, which was home to 221 elderly people, of whom more than 80 are bedridden, as well as 60 staff members. The attack reportedly killed one elderly person and injured at least 13 others. The facility suffered significant structural damage and 147 people had to be evacuated.
The Russian Federation have similarly reported that there has been shelling on populated areas over the weekend, in the Belgorod neighborhood in Russia and Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine, resulting in at least 1 civilian death and at least 14 injuries. We also take note of the Russian Federation’s letter dated 20th September 2024 together with its enclosure detailing attacks on Russian civilians and civilian facilities.
Mr. President,
The humanitarian impact of the Ukraine conflict has been devastating, resulting in higher numbers of civilian deaths, injuries, and displacements. There has been reports of massive infrastructural damage to homes, schools, hospitals/health facilities, businesses and other civilian infrastructure from aerial strikes in Ukraine over the course of this year. Tragically, several first responders to these attacks also lost their lives and suffered injuries from repeated attacks on the same sites.
These attacks have also damaged critical water and electricity infrastructure, causing widespread disruptions in services in several areas – for instance, according to OCHA an estimated 16,000 people still residing in Pokrovsk Town have been without water and gas for weeks since both systems were destroyed from ongoing fighting.
Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are particularly heinous and are prohibited under international law. We call on all sides to ensure compliance with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law.
Mr. President,
It is important for both parties to the conflict to de-escalate and prevent further harm to the lives and livelihoods of their citizens and other innocent civilians. Civilians in front line communities have had to relocate several times, and humanitarian relief efforts are also being hindered by the extending and shifting frontlines. In this regard, we call on the parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint.
The continued escalation of this conflict presents a clear and present threat of not only drawing other countries in the region into the conflict, but also the possibility of triggering a nuclear catastrophe, with an unintended strike on a nuclear facility, all of which would cause irreversible damage to efforts to bring the conflict to an end. Failure to take necessary action towards a political solution for the peaceful resolution of the conflict also presents the Council as ineffective and indifferent in achieving its mandate and addressing the suffering of millions of men, women and children.
Mr. President,
The international community, including this Council, must remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting the pursuit of an amicable and sustainable peace in Ukraine. It is equally important for this Council to speak with one voice in the interest of global peace and security and intensify efforts to mediate between the two conflicting parties as well as encourage measures geared towards de-escalation and cessation of the hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
In closing, Sierra Leone once more calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Ukraine and the Russian Federation within their internationally recognized borders, and for genuine diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict, taking into account the legitimate concerns of all parties involved.
I Thank you.
