Ambassador Bukun Onemola

Nigeria Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations

Nigeria Mission to the UN

New York, NY

June 9, 2010

As delivered

I would like to thank President Mbeki, Ambassador Gambari, Mr. Menkerios and Mr. Bassolé for their very useful briefings this morning on the situation in the Sudan. They have not only provided useful insights, but also given us a comprehensive picture of the interlocking dimensions of the challenges that lie ahead in the country. I commend them for their individual and collective efforts in the Sudan. The Council is now better informed on what needs to be done in the next 12 months, especially.

The Sudan is at a critical juncture. With the elections of April over, the business of inclusive governance, starting with the formation of a Government of national unity, must gather momentum in order to translate lofty promises into concrete results. It is therefore important for the Government of the Sudan and all political leaders to press forward with the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Dialogue rather than force is the key to solving the Sudan’s problems. Accordingly, we call on all parties to adhere and recommit to the CPA.

The 2011 referendum is a central pillar of the CPA. Its organization and outcome will have far reaching implications. It is therefore important that preparations for the referendum be inclusive, transparent, forward-looking and thorough. The international community, in particular the Security Council, should support the processes leading to the referendum. In this regard, the security challenge in the Sudan referred to by both Mr. Menkerios and Ambassador Gambari must be given adequate attention. Neither the Government of the Sudan nor the African Union acting alone can meet the security needs in the Sudan. It will take a global effort to cope with the situation. The Security Council, with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, has a key role to play.

Support for and progress in the Doha peace process will go a long way towards creating stability in the Sudan, and more especially Darfur. The deep mistrust that exists among the parties impedes progress. We therefore call on the parties to engage constructively and meaningfully in the peace process.

The continued presence of the United Nations through the United Nations Mission in the Sudan and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is a necessary complement to the peace process. It is important, however, for the United Nations to integrate its peace and security efforts with robust development assistance in Darfur. The real dividends of peace will be felt when recovery, reconstruction and development take place in tandem. Otherwise, the goal of integration through the voluntary return of internally displaced persons may remain elusive.

For the United Nations, success in the Sudan will depend on the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding. This issue was well articulated in the Prodi report (see A/63/666) and should be acted upon. Of equal significance is the need to look beyond the Multi-Donor Trust Fund as a means of supporting African Union peacekeeping capacity. The African Union lacks the capacity to undertake single-handed the wide range of activities associated with early warning, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction in the conflict zones dotted throughout Africa. I hope that our consultations today will help in this direction.