Sudan and South Sudan - Security Council, 10148th meeting

The 10,148th meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda for this meeting is reports of the Secretary General on the Sudan and South Sudan. The agenda is adopted in accordance with Rule 37 of the Council Provisional Rules of Procedure. I invite the representative of South Sudan to participate in this meeting. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S 2026 373, the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution. Before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. Will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document s/2026373373 please raise their. Those against. Abstentions. The result of the voting is as follows. 13 votes in favor, 0 votes against, 2 abstention. The draft resolution has been adopted as a resolution to 820 for 2026. I now give the floor to to those members of the Council who wish to make statement after the vote. I give the floor to the representative of the United states.

Thank you, Mr. President. The United States voted in favor of this resolution, but I want to be clear to the international community about why and what we expect to change. President Trump has stated plainly that the United States will champion peace and that the success of the United nations will be measured by its ability to achieve peace and to maintain it. And that's why the American people are focused on getting this peacekeeping mission unmus back to basics, to keep the peace, to protect civilians, support humanitarian access. And to be accurate in its reporting to this Council, the United States remains deeply concerned that President Kiir's actions are driving South Sudan backward while exploiting international support and obstructing those that are genuinely trying to help. And let's remember who pays the price. It's not the official sitting in Juba or even those of us sitting in this room. It's the people of South Sudan. It's a mother walking with her children after being ordered to leave her home. It is the aid worker that is stopped and threatened at a checkpoint. It is the girl who should be in school but is instead running from armed men who would do God knows what to her if they got the chance. It is the South Sudanese family whose village was burned and whose water was poisoned, wondering why after independence and that long struggle after peace agreements, after years and years of UN mandates, that they are still waiting for security during these negotiations on this mandate Renewal. We spent considerable time debating mandate language and operational adjustments. Frankly debating and negotiating around the margins when the core problem is staring us right in the face. The core problem is a host government that actively undermines its commitments to peace and the mission it agreed to accept. Between October of last year and March of this year, UNMISS recorded more than 480 status of forces Agreements incidents. What does that mean? That means 4, 480 times Peacekeepers were blocked, humanitarian access was denied, repatriation flights were obstructed, bases were forced to close and millions of dollars were lost and wasted. Mr. President, I'd want to read a few lines from an article about UNMISS that is listed currently on UNMISS own website. It reads, quote, a UN peacekeeping force is not a substitute for the host country's security forces, end quote. The same article also described the host government and UNMAS on and I quote, a collision course. It also noted that many South Sudanese. The South Sudanese people view UNMUS as I and I again, quote, failed institution that has not lived up to its image. Again, this is an article on the UNMIST website. Here's what I want you to remember from that, Colleagues. That article was published in 2014, 11 years ago, quoting the difficulties in describing the difficulties between the host nation and unmas. And yet year after year after year, we just roll the mandate over and over and over again, all proclaiming behind closed doors that we can't possibly make changes. Look, that should be shameful to the leadership of South Sudan. It should concern this council and it should force all of us to ask why. The same warnings, the same obstruction, the same suffering, the same excuses from the same leadership keep showing up year after year after year. We all deplore it, we all complain about it, and yet when it comes time to negotiating a renewal, there's this headwind against any type of change. Colleagues, the United States is serious when we say that peacekeeping operations are meant to be a temporary tool to help host governments navigate peace and security crisis, not an endless stream of support for states to exploit and misuse. Peacekeepers should be in places where they can work themselves out of a job. And that's why this mandate matters. For the first time in many years, this Council is taking a serious step to streamline UNMUS cut cutting capacity building and development activities that will allow. That allow the transitional government to avoid its own responsibilities and focusing on core peace and security tasks. The mandate includes limited references to elections, but the Secretary General's own reports are clear. Electoral preparations remain minimal to non existent Key decisions are still delayed, funding is missing, and peaceful, credible elections require the outstanding provisions of the 202018 Peace Agreement to be implemented first, which they haven't been. So if the transitional government truly means to hold free and fair elections, it must first return to genuine dialogue among the parties, to that agreement. And genuine dialogue cannot happen while key leaders are imprisoned, including the head of the second largest party to the agreement, who remains under arrest and on trial. Additionally, we shouldn't have foreign taxpayers being asked to fund a political process. The transitional government will not fund itself. Future US support for elections, including through the United nations, will depend on whether South Sudan's leaders put their own public resources behind elections, public services and government salaries. We are not here to impose a political or ideological model on South Sudan. We are here to demand the basics peace, responsible use of public revenue and an end to the abuse of assistance meant for the South Sudanese people. Colleagues, the people of South Sudan have waited long enough and this Council's patience is not infinite. We renew our call on South Sudan's transitional government to to honor its commitments and deliver for its people. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of United States for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of United Kingdom.

Thank you, President. The United Kingdom voted in favor of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and we thank the United States for its engagement as penholder. UNMISS remains indispensable in the context of ongoing instability and humanitarian need. The mission plays a vital role in protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian access, monitoring and reporting on human rights, and supporting implementation of the revitalized agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan. The UK therefore welcomes the preservation of these functions of within a refreshed mandate that is credible, deliverable and responsive to conditions on the ground. The UK reiterates the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and return to inclusive dialogue with the opposition. We are clear that any amendments to the revitalised agreement should be pursued through the agreement's formal mechanisms rather than through unilateral action. It is vital that UNMISS receives full cooperation from the transitional government and enjoys freedom of movement throughout its areas of operations in order to implement its mandate in full. President, the UK remains fully committed to working with the Council, the Secretariat and UNMISS leadership to ensure the mission can deliver effectively for the people of South Sudan. Thank you.

I thank the representative of United Kingdom for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of France.

Merci, Monsieur President.

Thank you, Mr. President. Allow me to congratulate you for the adoption of this resolution that signals the end of your presidency, a presidency that has been active and productive. Mr. President, France welcomes the one year renewal of En Miss's mandate, a mission that plays a key role in South Sudan. My delegation would like to thank the mission of the United States for the work carried out throughout the negotiations. And we would also like to welcome the efforts to rationalize the mandate. President, the situation in the country continues to be precarious. It's the least we could say. And the population is facing a dramatic humanitarian crisis. This operation plays a critical stabilizing role due to its mandate on civilian protection. It has our support and we hope that the conditions that will allow it to strengthen its effective deployment to better implement its mandate will quickly materialize on the ground. The UNMISTASED deployment supports a political goal to obtain a lasting peace in South Sudan. Despite the current blockages, the revitalized agreement is the only credible peace process. Once again, we call upon the parties to respect their obligations on the basis of this revitalized agreement. Moreover, the transitional government should completely cooperate with UNMISS and avoid any kind of hindrance to the implement of the mandate on the basis of the Status of Forces agreement.

I thank you, representative of France for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Russian Federation.

Mr. President.

The Russian Federation abstained on the draft of resolution by the Security Council prepared by the United States on the extension of the mandate of onmis. Russia fully supports the activities of the mission and its new head, Ms. Anita Kubehoe. The tasks of maintaining stability and security in South Sudan. The peacekeeping component of its mandate in addressing humanitarian issues remain very relevant and as we can see, the mission is tackling them successfully. The text of the resolution contains a number of dangerous and in our view, erroneous messages. Despite numerous comments, the authors nevertheless decided not to move way from rigidly linking the prospects of maintaining the UN peacekeeping presence with some kind of progress by Juba in advancing the political process, protecting civilians, humanitarian access and human rights. We draw your attention to the fact that the Security Council has not developed any effective indicators in this regard and the progress in the task surfacing South Sudan should in no case serve as prescription to cut or draw down on the activities of the Blue Helmets in the country, not the other way around. We noted the inclusion in the text of an instruction to the Secretary General jointly with the UN military and police leadership to conduct an analysis of peacekeepers activities and to prepare proposals for adapting their activities to the current realities. Unfortunately, the authors denied troop contributing countries the right to participate in the preparation of this document. But what is most disconcerting is that even before the release of these detailed assessments, the text already contains a significant reduction of the peacekeeping contingent. We understand that at present the number of blue helmets on the ground is below the ceiling. More than that, the mission has just went through a very difficult time and had to cut its numbers because of the liquidity crisis. But the broad mandate of the mission has practically not been reviewed and all tasks related to the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, human rights, which require an adequate number of personnel, have been kept. Under such conditions. The reduction of the contingent looks illogical and contradictory. The mission must be ready for any scenarios and approach any possible security challenges whilst being fully ready for them. It should have sufficient level of resources for that. Nor should we forget that its main goal in the near term is maintaining a stable situation in the country in the run up to the nationwide elections planned for the end of the year. And finally, we note once again the tactic chosen by the authors to exert pressure on South Sudan. Instead of emphasizing progress in the political process, the text focuses on the insufficiency of the efforts undertaken by Juba with the addition to that of criticism and inappropriate alarmism. More than that, the government is even being denied the right to be correctly named in the document. We call on our American colleagues to not abuse the role of the informal PEN holdership of the South Sudan file so as to push their own course towards a marginalization of the current leadership of South Sudan. The task of the Security Council is to provide friendly assistance to this young nation in building their state institutions rather than in trying to seek and catch Juba out. Shortcomings Constructive cooperation is exactly what is needed now by the South Sudanese and the UN mission there.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Russian Federation for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of China.

President. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has played a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability and advancing the political process in South Sudan. China has consistently and fully supported the work of ARMIS and its continued mandate renewal. Currently, South Sudan is at a critical stage in achieving peace and development as a key supporting party Army's mandate and capabilities should be optimized and strengthened. And in light of the evolving situation, China participated in the consultations on the draft resolution on Army's mandatory new with a constructive attitude and together with other members of the Council proposed a number of reasonable amendments. Regrettably, however, the draft resolution weakens Aume's mandate to Support the South Sudanese peace process and implementation of the revitalized agreements cuts the Mission's troop ceiling and exerts excessive pressure on the government. Given this, China was compelled to abstain from the vote. I would like to illustrate three points. First, the fundamental purpose of a peacekeeping operation is to serve the political process, create favorable conditions for a political settlement and assist the host government in its capacity building efforts. The South Sudanese government has decided to hold general elections at the end of the year. The African Union and other regional organizations are actively mediating, calling on all parties to uphold and implement the revitalized agreement. The Security Council should align its efforts with Africa, support amis in its effective good offices and assist South Sudan in advancing every stage of its political transition, including the elections. Second, since the beginning of this year, the security situation in South Sudan has remained tense with armed conflicts occurring intermittently resulting in civilian casualties and displacement. The contingency drawdown has already affected the Mission's functions in protecting civilians and assisting in humanitarian aid. Given the current strained resources for peacekeeping, the Security Council should optimize the mandate structure of armis, refrain from further expanding non core tasks and guarantee the resources and capabilities required for the Mission's priority mandates. This will enable its rapid response and timely deployment to better safeguard the security and welfare of the South Sudanese people. Third, the South Sudanese government has repeatedly expressed its willingness to strengthen cooperation with amis. Through friendly consultations, they have reached appropriate solutions on issues such as contingency drawdowns and the use of UN bases. The host country and the Mission are partners. The host country should facilitate the Mission's performance of its duties in accordance with the Status Forces Agreement. As the other party to the agreement, the Mission must also respect the host country's sovereignty and leadership. When addressing issues related to cooperation between ARMITS and South Sudan, the Security Council should give full consideration to the legitimate concerns of the South Sudanese government and encourage and support both parties to work towards a common goal. Exerting unilateral excessive pressure will only be counterproductive. President. South Sudan is the world's youngest country as a permanent member of the Security Council and a major chief troop contributing country to Amherst. China will continue to support Amherst in fulfilling its mandate diligently. We stand ready to work more closely with other Council members to jointly support the sovereignty, unity and territory integrity of South Sudan and help it further advance stability and development. I thank you, President.

I thank the representative of China for the statement. I give the floor door to the representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Mr. President. Pakistan has voted in favor of the resolution primarily to express our support for the peacekeeping mission. We welcome the one year renewal of UNMISS mandate. However, we share many of the concerns that were expressed during the negotiations by our African colleagues, by China and others. I wish to highlight some of them. First, the proposed reduction of the troop ceiling to 12,500 is not justified by the deteriorating political and security situation in South Sudan. Also, the troop ceiling is being reduced while the mandate remains focused on protection of civilians and humanitarian access across a wide geographic area which requires robust presence. This reduction could negatively affect the implementation of the protection of civilians mandate and the safety and security of peacekeepers. We have consistently emphasized that mandates must be matched with adequate capabilities and resources. Second, the resolution significantly curtails the mission's political role. UNMISS core task was to support implementation of the revitalized agreement and help sustain the transition in South Sudan. At a time when progress on key benchmarks has stalled or reversed, the mission's political engagement should remain central rather than peripheral. The core principle that peacekeeping missions should support political solutions must be respected. Political engagement also plays an important role in the protection of civilians. Third, while several functions of the mission appear to have been streamlined in light of financial considerations, reporting requirements have expanded. This places additional expectations on the mission without corresponding political support and reflects a misalignment of priorities. Pakistan also regrets the removal of language on consultations with troop and police contributing countries in the context of military and police capability study. Pakistan has consistently advocated meaningful consultations with those who implement the mandates of the Council on the ground and have better understanding of the challenges in the field. Finally, linking future adjustments to the missions configuration to the level of host State cooperation raises important concerns. While host States cooperation with UNMIS is essential and we encourage South Sudan to address the obstructions and facilitate the mission in its mandate implementation. Peacekeeping operations are instruments of the Security Council and require sustained and predictable political and financial support from this Council, particularly in fragile environments where continuity of presence contributes directly to stability. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of denmark.

Thank you, Mr. President. And let me begin by thanking the penholder for their sustained engagement and commitment throughout a difficult negotiation period and as well as for steadily improving the mandate across successive drafts. Mr. President, Denmark voted in favor of this resolution. UNMUS has the main purpose of protecting the people of South Sudan and to help foster political conditions for lasting and comprehensive peace. This is a time where the continuous actions of the transitional government amount to a direct assault on the principles and purposes of the revitalized Peace Agreement. As we speak, South Sudanese civilians are living through a crisis that demands a strong, well resourced and fully operational mission. One with the full backing of this Council, Denmark welcomes a resolution that retains a robust mandate on protection, civilians, humanitarian assistance and human rights monitoring and reporting. We would have preferred to see stronger language preserved in certain areas, particularly on supporting the implementation of the revitalized agreement and peace process. We trust that the Mission will nonetheless be able to carry out its critical tasks effectively and comprehensively in support of the elements of the revitalized agreement and the peace process going forward. We welcome the introduction of the military and police capability study which should ensure that any future force level decisions are effect based. Finally, the Council must remain actively seized on the situation in South Sudan. We stand ready to revisit, revisit and where necessary, strengthen the Mandate in light of developments on the ground to ensure that UNMIS is fully equipped to deliver on its responsibilities. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Thank you, Mr. President. Greece voted in favor of the resolution renewing the mandate of Fund Mission. We thank the penholder, the United States, for its constructive engagement throughout the negotiations. We stress the need for all parties to demonstrate a genuine political will to fully implement the revitalized peace agreement. We also underline the critical role of families in supporting peace and stability in the country. The Mission plays an important political and security role and must continue in line with its mandate to provide support to the political process and the protection of civilians and human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and children, including through the WPS and CAC agendas. It is therefore essential that UNMIS continues to make full and effective use of all available resources to implement its renewed mandate in its entirety. At the same time, all restrictions and obstructions to the Mission in fulfilling its mandate in South Sudan must be lifted in accordance with the status of Force Agreement. Greece will remain actively engaged in the work of the Security Council in support of lasting peace and stability in South Sudan. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of latvia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Latvia voted in favor of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to reaffirm on mesa's indispensable role in protecting civilians and supporting stability in South Sudan. And we thank the United States Penhalter for the efforts to streamline the text and for working constructively to bridge differences and find compromises on A number of fundamental issues. Revitalised peace Agreements remains the only agreed framework for South Sudan's transition, and we urge all parties to fully implement their obligations under the agreement, including by advancing credible elections, strengthening state institutions and delivering on their responsibilities to the people of South Sudan. But we support this renewal and the conviction that ONMIS remains vital to peace and security in South Sudan. And the Council must remain actively seized of the situation and ready to act if needed. And peace is never easy and it never comes cheap. When it is too long delayed, hope can give way to disappointment. But we must never allow that disappointment to diminish our commitment to peace itself. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mr. President, I have the honor of making this explanation of vote on behalf

of of the group of the A3,

namely Liberia, Somalia and my own country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The A3 voted in favor of this resolution so as to support keeping the presence of unmus whose role remains indispensable during this critical period. Our vote reflects our attachment to the Mission and our commitment to the people of South Sudan. At the same time, we feel it's our duty to express some serious concerns as regards the thrust of the mandate we just adopted. Despite our constructive engagement throughout the negotiating process, some of the key elements, in particular those having to do with the political dimension, have not been taken into account adequately. The resolution does assign priority to the protection of civilians and humanitarian assistance, and rightly so, but it does not sufficiently reflect the capital importance of some political advances. More specifically, the political role of UNMISS has been considerably restricted. The good offices of the Mission also have been defined in a limited form fashion, without adequately reflecting the need to have a sustained and proactive engagement so as to support dialogue, build trust between the parties and progress towards the implementation of their revitalized agreement. As regards the elections, we take note of the inclusion of provisions having to do with a follow up of preparations and drawing up reports on that. And this is a step in the right direction, but we think that this is well below what is needed. The Council has been constantly underscoring the importance of elections, including the timetable for that by December 2026 as a key step in the transition. In this context, just following the process and writing reports of that cannot replace a more substantive role that could be played. South Sudan remains a young nation. It does not have a prior experience in organizing national elections. Whereas UNMIS does have institutional memory and the technical capacities needed to promote conditions which would be conducive towards credible, peaceful and inclusive elections. The approach here can create an imbalance within the mandate. The situation on the ground is deteriorating in both political security and humanitarian sense. But the resolution weakens the political role by the mission and at the same time is modifying its operational posture. This approach does not fully reflect the realities on the ground, nor does it

reflect the need to have a stronger

rather than a reduced engagement. We also underscore the importance of keeping a constructive and balanced partnership with the Government of South Sudan. This partnership is essential for the effective implementation of the mandate. Mr. President, despite these concerns, we did support this resolution because we recognized the crucial importance of unmins and the need to ensure this continuity of their mandate. We remain convinced that there is no military solution to the crisis in South Sudan and a lasting pathway should be based on a political process. In particular, the full implementation of the revitalized agreement. With the support from the regional efforts conducted by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, we will continue

to engage constructively to ensure that implementing the mandate will be an effective response to the realities on the ground and that it supports the aspirations of the

people of South Sudan. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Democratic Republic of the Congo. I give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Senor.

Mr. President, my delegation has decided to vote in favor of this resolution to signal our support for the presence of UNMIS in recognition of its indispensable role for stability in South Sudan, as well as to avoid an escalation in the conflict. Now, we do see with concern the setbacks in terms of the references to the agendas of Women Peace and Security and Climate Peace and security. Columbia knows that dispensing with these elements in the text will not eliminate the reality on the ground. Nevertheless, it will weaken the mission's capacity to anticipate, prevent and respond in a comprehensive and differentiated manner to the challenges that it is facing. Consolidating precedents of this nature will only diminish the credibility and impact of the Council's decisions. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Colombia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Panama.

Thank you, President. We would like to thank the United States as penholders of the resolution, for leading negotiations. And we also thank them for taking on board comments, including those that were recently incorporated. Panama voted in favor of the resolution and we welcomed all efforts geared to simplifying the text in order to make it more effective. We reiterate our support to the mission in the implementation of its political and operative components the resolution that we just adopted keeps the protection of civilians as a central priority along with a solid mandate when it comes to human rights. Moreover, it includes relevant thematic language with specific implications for the civilian population, including climate change and its impact on security and inter communal tensions. Likewise, when it comes to women, peace and security, the text incorporates elements relating to the prevention and response to sexual and gender based violence against women and girls, access to services for survivors and the full, equal and significant participation of women. We value that the resolution recognizes the link between UNMAS and the implementation of the peace agreement, a political component that will allow the mission to support the government and the role of regional actors to support the current mediation efforts. We reiterate that the Government of South Sudan has the primary responsibility for protecting its population in an imminent and effective manner to prevent human rights violations and to ensure safe and unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance. This will only be possible with political will. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for action with the maximum degree of moderation on behalf of all armed actors and to prioritize the protection and dignity of the population. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Panama for the statement. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as a representative of Bahrain.

Your Excellencies. I would like to thank the United States, the penholder, for their efforts in facilitating the consultations which have led to the adoption of this resolution. Renewing the Mandate of UNMIS this resolution highlights the urgent need for the Security Council to enhance the flexibility of peacekeeping missions to take into account the dynamics on the ground and the emerging needs. The Kingdom of Bahrain has voted in favor of renewing the UNMES mandate out of our belief in the pivotal role that UNMIS plays in supporting South Sudan during this transitional period, especially in light of the security and humanitarian challenges. This resolution contributes to enhancing the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian assistance. We reaffirm the need for all parties to commit to the revitalized peace agreement in order to achieve stability, peace and security in South Sudan.

Thank you.

I resume my function as a President of the Council. I now give the floor to the representative of South Sudan.

Mr. President, the Republic of South Sudan Express it is sincere appreciation to the members of the Security Council for their continued attention to the situation in our country and for exerting exceptional efforts during the negotiation for the renewal of this mandate. We extend our gratitude to the United nations troop and police contributing countries and to the wider international family for their steadfast support to South Sudan during this critical period in its nation building journey, South Sudan acknowledges the important role that UNAMIS continue to play in supporting the implementation of the revitalized Peace Agreement, protecting and facilitating humanitarian assistance and national efforts towards peace and stability. At the same time, we underscore that the primary responsibility for peace, security and the protection of civilian rests squarely on the government of South Sudan. We remain committed to to strengthening our national institutions to fully assume these responsibilities in a sustainable manner. Mr. President, as we move forward, it is essential that the mandate of UNMIS evolves in a manner that reflects the progress achieved and supports nationally owned priorities. In this regard, South Sudan emphasizes the the importance of continued partnership based on mutual respect, trust and constructive engagement the need for enhanced capacity building of national institutions institutions the alignment of UNMI's activities with the priorities of revitalized peace agreement and the transitional roadmap the importance of differentiating UNMI's mandate from bilateral diplomatic relations as we are all aware that UNMIS is exclusively guided by by SOFA while the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic or Consular Relations along with bilateral agreements guide diplomatic intercourse. Mr. President, South Sudan is determined to move from conflict to stability, from fragility to resilience and from dependency to self reliance. The journey is complex, but the direction is clear. We therefore call on our partners to continue accompanying us not in substitution of our efforts, but in support of our nationally led path towards lasting peace and development. Let this renewal not only be a continuation of mandate, but a renewed commitment to the people of South Sudan. A shared commitment that their hopes for peace will not be deferred. A commitment that their resilience will be matched by our collective resolve and a commitment that South Sudan will emerge stronger, united and at peace with itself and its neighbor. I thank you.

I thank the representative of South Sudan for the statement. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned.