![Chairman of Sudan Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al Burhan speaking during a mass gathering at Freedom Square in Khartoum on Thursday, October 8, 2020 [Photo by Nancy Abdel Rahaman/Sudans Post]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/121089250_4576253352416766_6429394165989070305_o.jpg?ssl=1)
On Friday, the Council was briefed in a video conference meeting by the Sudan sanctions committee on the situation in Darfur region during the period from 15 September to 10 December 2020.
The resolution 1591 (2005) imposes an arms embargo banning the supply of arms and related materiel to actors operating in Darfur. Also, it imposes travel ban and assets freeze on individuals designated by the Committee.
A year after the removal of the al-Bashir’s regime, Sudanese transitional government keeps calling on the international community to end all the sanctions imposed during the former era.
“Lifting those sanctions was essential to ensuring lasting stability, as they no longer reflect the present circumstances in Darfur, compared to 2005 when the resolution was adopted,” said Sudan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Omer Siddig during the meeting.
Siddig added that the end of sanctions will allow his government to rebuild the capacity of the security forces and law enforcement agencies to preserve and enhance peace in Darfur and beyond.
On 2 November, Michael Pompeo the United States Secretary of State vowed to work with the Sudanese Government and international partners to identify circumstances that could lift the sanctions related to the Darfur conflict.
The two Governments have already begun consultations at the United Nations and Sudan is ready to engage with the United States and other Council members to swiftly end these sanctions.
For his part, the Chair of the Sanctions Committee Sven Jurgenson of Estonia told the meeting that “peace remains elusive as long as land use and ownership issues in Darfur remain unresolved and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdel Wahid remains outside the peace process”.
Jurgenson further warned that the return of the former rebel groups to the region to integrate the national army after the peace agreement may bring instability in Darfur due to the increasing tribal tensions.
The Security Council will receive the final report of the sanctions committee next February. Accordingly, it will decide to end its activities or to extend it for an additional year.
