BY
MS. SONIA KARIM
DEPUTY POLITICAL COORDINATOR /
MINISTER COUNSELLOR
Mr. President,
I thank Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs for her briefing.
Sierra Leone takes note of the call by the Russian Federation to discuss the increasing weapon transfers by the Western countries to Ukraine, which in their view aggravates the crisis in Ukraine and undermines the prospects of its resolution. We also take note of Ukraine’s cited imperative to protect civilians and a right to self-defense.
Sierra Leone continues to reiterate its principled position that all transfers of weapons in conflict situations should occur within the applicable international legal framework and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and include pre-transfer risk assessments and end-user verification to prevent diversion of arms and ammunition.
Mr. President
Outside of the transfer of weapons issue, we have observed with concern a dramatic escalation in the conflict in Ukraine since March this year. The consequences of this escalation have been devastating, with intensification of missile and drone strikes causing increased civilian deaths, injuries, and displacements. From the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (HRMMU) report of 9 August 2024, July was recorded as the deadliest month with at least 219 civilians killed and 1,018 injured in Ukraine. August also saw high casualty numbers of at least 184 civilians killed and 856 injured.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented a total of 35,869 civilian casualties since the start of the conflict, including at least 11,662 deaths and 24,207 injured, while noting that the true figures are likely to be considerably higher.
UNICEF confirmed that over 2,000 children have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February 2022, highlighting that the number of child fatalities this year has increased by almost 40 percent compared to 2023.
Sierra Leone is also concerned about the effects of the spread of hostilities on civilians in Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. Reports indicate that since Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region on 6 August, at least 12 people had been killed and 121 injured, according to local Russian officials. Additionally, over 130,000 people have reportedly been evacuated from the area.
Further, on 10 September, Russian officials reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on populated areas in Moscow, resulting in one death and damage to housing facilities. The attack resulted in the closure of three of Moscow’s four airports for several hours and diversion of almost 50 flights.
Sierra Leone reiterates that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. We call on all sides to ensure compliance with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law.
Mr. President,
Sierra Leone is deeply concerned about the worsening impacts of the conflict on civilians and civilian infrastructure,which continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate, particularly in Ukraine. According to OCHA situation report, 14.6 million people, roughly 40 percent of Ukraine’s population, need some form of humanitarian assistance. Entire neighborhoods and villages have been decimated, leaving millions displaced internally and in other countries.
Reported attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March 2024 have drastically reduced the country’s electricity capacity, leading to daily power cuts for millions of people across Ukraine. These outages, often lasting many hours, limit access to water, mobile networks and internet, and public transportation.
Older people, persons with disabilities and the many school children who attend school online, have been particularly affected by these disruptions in essential services. Sierra Leone is deeply concerned over this development as Ukraine approaches its third winter since the start of the conflict in February 2022.
The alarming civilian casualty figures and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as verified by HRMMU, UNICEF, and OCHA, underscores the urgent need for all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians and refrain from further escalation and pursuit of the option of winning the war on the battlefield at all costs.
Dialogue and diplomacy should be the primary tools employed to de-escalate tensions and pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The international community, including this Council, must remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting the pursuit of a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.
Sierra Leone once more calls for good faith diplomatic efforts in pursuit of a peaceful resolution involving the parties to the conflict. Meaningful steps must be taken towards the immediate de-escalation and cessation of the hostilities. We urge Parties to the conflict to engage constructively, including on their legitimate concerns, to find a political and diplomatic solution as envisaged in article 33 of the UN Charter.
In closing, Colleagues, Sierra Leone 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 genuine diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution to the conflict, taking into account the legitimate concerns of all parties involved.
I Thank you.
