People march on a street in Kassala city of Sudan. — Photo: dabangasudan.org

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý spoke at a UN Security Council videoconference on Tuesday where he called on Sudan to augment efforts to protect civilians and address the root causes of violence among communities.

The event, which looked into the situation in Sudan and activities of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the country (UNITAMS), was attended by Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan Volker Perthes, and representative from Insight Strategy Partners Kholood Khair.

Speakers updated participants on new developments in Sudan over the last three months, including strides in the implementation of the peace agreement on October 3 last year between the Sudanese government and the majority of armed groups from Darfur.

They recognised the formation of the transitional council and the new cabinet but also voiced concern over economic hardships, humanitarian issues, and growing violence among communities, especially in the Darfur region.

Perthes also informed about initial moves by UNITAMS to support the transitional process in Sudan, saying the mission will liaison closely with the Sudanese government while performing its duties.

Member states of the UN Security Council said that there remain numerous difficulties in the African country, especially the escalation of violence among communities, the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, and economic and humanitarian crises.

They recommended the Sudanese government promote the capacity of protecting civilians in the Darfur region and guarantee safety for the UN – African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) during this mission’s withdrawal.

In his speech, Ambassador Quý, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, highly valued the recent strides in Sudan, expressing his hope that the transitional government and other parties there will keep fully carrying out the peace deal from October 3, 2020 to help build long-term peace and stability in the country.

Appreciating the UN, countries, and regional organisations’ role in promoting peace and stability in Sudan, he appealed to the international community to continue humanitarian assistance and facilitate this country’s access to international financial institutions.

The diplomat said he hopes UNITAMS will soon be put into full operation to support the transitional process and development in Sudan. He also underlined the importance of safety for the withdrawal of the UNAMID force.

Amid certain security improvements in Darfur, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2559 on December 22, 2020, to end UNAMID’s operations on December 31 the same year and requested this mission to complete the withdrawal between January 1 and June 30, 2021.

The council set up UNITAMS in June 2020 under Resolution 2524. This is a political mission whose main duties are supporting the transitional and peace process, state governance, the mobilisation of resources for economy and development, and humanitarian assistance. It also helps improve the Sudanese government’s capacity of protecting civilians in Darfur but doesn’t directly engage in the duty like UNAMID. — VNS