Mission Interrupted: Khartoum asks UNMIS to leave Sudan
The recent war of words has led to yet another stalemate between the Sudanese government and the UN.
Last month, the Sudanese government thanked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the mission’s peacekeeping efforts and showed UNMIS the door, asking it to leave Sudan by 9 July.
"Khartoum has no right to end the UN Mission in Sudan, the decision rests solely with the UN Security Council."
But Hoi Jiang, the UNMIS spokeswoman in the South, insisted Khartoum had no right to end the UN Mission in Sudan, saying the decision rests solely with the UN Security Council.
UNMIS has been based in Northern Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. The mission also has a representative in Southern Sudan.
With independence of the south a little more than a month away, the status of UNMIS is far from clear. The looming question is: who decides its future - the Sudanese government or the UN Security Council?
Whether or not UNMIS remains after the South secedes will be determined "exclusively by the Security Council and not by the Sudanese government," Jiang said.
Ban Ki-moon and Ali Karti, the GoS Foreign Minister. UN Photo/Ryan BrownRelations between UNMIS and the Sudanese government have been marked by twists and turns ever since the UN mission’s arrival in Sudan. One of the most notable downturns was in 2006, when Khartoum expelled UN delegate Jan Brooke for criticising the government and armed groups in Darfur.
Most recently, the UN has condemned the north’s takeover of the disputed region of Abyei, whose future status is also unclear. Tens of thousands of Abyei residents have fled the area following clashes between the Khartoum-backed Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
President Omar al-Bashir has repeatedly accused the UNMIS of violating its mandate. He said UNMIS was spying for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) after satellite images released by UNMIS reportedly showed crimes committed in Abyei on 21 May after the region was seized by the SAF.
International experts say the actions of the Sudanese army constitute crimes against humanity. The latest diplomatic breakdown was apparently triggered by the UN’s statement that the satellite photos could implicate the Sudanese army.
To retaliate, the Sudanese government moved to end the UN mission, but since it is not legally allowed to do so, it is unclear how UNMIS will proceed.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Khaled Mousa, an agreement between UNMIS and Khartoum allowed the deployment of troops in Abyei "because the Sudanese government approved it according to the principles of its sovereignty" and its national interests.
"The decision to allow these troops to stay until July 9 comes in the framework of fulfillment of the Sudanese government of its obligations toward the peace process," he said at a news conference.
The UN Security Council. UN Photo/Evan SchneiderSources close to UNMIS believe the UN will remain in Sudan after the south becomes independent, and that the Security Council will decide whether to extend the UNMIS mandate depending on the security situation in both nations.
The same sources point out that poor relations between north and south over the crisis in Abyei are confounded by other unsolved post-referendum issues, such as the demarcation of borders and the public consultation process between Khartoum and Juba.
The Security Council resolution providing for UNMIS, they added, is meaningless without the approval of the Government of Sudan.
These sources nevertheless expect the Sudanese government to abide by the anticipated Security Council resolution to extend the UNMIS mandate. But they say the role of UNMIS will be limited after the south's independence.
The spokesman for Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not comment on how the Sudanese government would respond if the Security Council issued a resolution to extend the UNMIS mandate.
Sources close to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) said UNMIS would maintain its presence in the South to help build the new state.
The UNMIS mandate, created by Security Council Resolution 1590 (2005), expired half way through Sudan’s transitional period, but was extended until the end of the period or 9 July.
Salah Al-Douma, professor of political science at Al-Zaeem Al-Azhari University, said he believes the Sudanese government will eventually abide by a resolution extending the UNMIS mandate in Northern Sudan "because Sudan is a UN member and it ratified all UN charters and conventions."
