United Nations Security Council Resolution 1564

Last updated

UN Security Council
Resolution 1564
Darfur IDPs children sitting.jpg
Children in Darfur
Date18 September 2004
Meeting no.5,040
CodeS/RES/1564 (Document)
SubjectThe situation concerning Sudan
Voting summary
  • 11 voted for
  • None voted against
  • 4 abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
  1563 Lists of resolutions 1565  

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1564, adopted on 18 September 2004, after recalling resolutions 1502 (2003), 1547 (2004) and 1556 (2004), the Council threatened the imposition of sanctions against Sudan if it failed to comply with its obligations on Darfur, and an international inquiry was established to investigate violations of human rights in the region. [1]

Contents

The resolution, sponsored by Germany, Romania, the United Kingdom and United States, was adopted by 11 votes in favour to none against and four abstentions from Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia. The abstaining countries expressed reservations about the threat of sanctions. [1] It was the first time a Security Council resolution had invoked the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by establishing the international inquiry. [2]

Resolution

Observations

Welcoming progress made towards humanitarian access, the Security Council expressed concern that the Sudanese government had not fulfilled its commitments under Resolution 1556. It praised the engagement of the African Union in addressing the situation in the Darfur region and the lifting of restrictions on the provision of humanitarian aid by the Sudanese government. The government and rebels were urged to allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief, including across Sudan's borders with Libya and Chad.

The preamble of the resolution expressed concern at the lack of progress towards the security and protection of civilians, disarming the Janjaweed and bringing those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law to justice. It recalled the primary responsibility of the Sudanese government to protect its civilians, respect human rights and maintain law and order. At the same time, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM) also had to respect human rights.

It emphasised that the ultimate resolution to the crisis in Darfur was the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, with the Council expressing its determination to end the suffering of people in Darfur. [3]

Acts

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council declared that the government of Sudan had not met its commitments, expressing concern at helicopter attacks and assaults by the Janjaweed militia against villages in Darfur. It welcomed the intention of the African Union to enhance its monitoring mission in Darfur and urged all member states to support such efforts. [4] All concerned parties were called upon to reach a political settlement under the auspicies of the African Union, with the government and Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLM) urged to conclude a Comprehensive Peace Agreement. In particular, the government had to end impunity in Darfur and bring those responsible for widespread human rights abuses to justice. The names of those arrested for such abuses had to be submitted to the African Union.

The resolution demanded that all armed groups and rebel forces end the violence in the Darfur region, while the government was called upon to refrain from conducting military flights over the region in accordance with the April 8 Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan was requested to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Darfur, including genocide, by all parties and to identify the perpetrators. [5] Countries were called upon to provide generous contributions to humanitarian efforts underway in Darfur and Chad.

Finally, the Council warned that in the event of non-compliance of the Sudanese government with demands in Resolution 1556 or the current resolution, further measures would be imposed under Article 41 of the United Nations Charter, relating to restrictions against its petroleum sector and travel of government officials. [6] The Secretary-General, in his reports on the situation, was required to report on the progress (or lack thereof) by the Sudanese government with Security Council demands and on efforts towards a peace agreement.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Janjaweed are an Arab nomad militia group operating in the Sahel region that operates in Sudan, particularly in Darfur and eastern Chad. They are also active in Yemen due to participating in the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen. According to the United Nations definition, Janjaweed membership consists of Arab nomad tribes from the Sahel, the core of whom are Abbala Arabs, traditionally employed in camel herding, with significant recruitment from the Baggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Darfur</span> Genocidal conflict in Western Sudan

The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups began fighting against the government of Sudan, which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population. The government responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's non-Arabs. This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the indictment of Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International response to the War in Darfur</span>

While there is a consensus in the international community that ethnic groups have been targeted in Darfur and that crimes against humanity have therefore occurred, there has been debate in some quarters about whether genocide has taken place there. In May 2006, the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur organized by United Nations "concluded that the Government of the Sudan has not pursued a policy of genocide ... [though] international offences such as the crimes against humanity and war crimes that have been committed in Darfur may be more serious and heinous than genocide." Eric Reeves, a researcher and frequent commentator on Darfur, has questioned the methodology of the commission's report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1679</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1679, adopted unanimously on May 16, 2006, after recalling resolutions 1556 (2004), 1564 (2004), 1574 (2004), 1590 (2005), 1591 (2005), 1593 (2005), 1663 (2005) and 1665 (2006) on the situation in Sudan, the Council endorsed a decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council to move ahead with a United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur as soon as possible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1672</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1672, adopted on April 25, 2006, after recalling resolutions 1556 (2004), 1591 (2005), 1651 (2005) and 1665 (2006) on the situation in Sudan, the Council imposed travel and financial sanctions on four Sudanese individuals over their involvement in the Darfur conflict. It was the first time sanctions had been adopted against individuals in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1591</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council resolution 1591, adopted on 29 March 2005, after recalling resolutions 1547 (2004), 1556 (2004), 1564 (2004), 1574 (2004), 1585 (2005), 1588 (2005) and 1590 (2005) on the situation in Sudan, the council placed a travel ban and asset freeze on those "impeding the peace process" in Darfur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706, adopted on August 31, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, including resolutions 1556 (2004), 1564 (2005), 1574 (2004), 1590 (2004), 1591 (2005), 1593 (2004), 1663 (2006), 1665 (2006) and 1679 (2006), the Council expanded the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) to include deployments in Darfur to enforce the Darfur Peace Agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593, adopted on 31 March 2005, after receiving a report by the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, the Council referred the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and required Sudan to co-operate fully. It marked the first time the council had referred a situation to the court, and also compelled a country to co-operate with it.

The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur was established pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1564 (2004), adopted on 18 September 2004. The resolution, passed under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, urged the Secretary-General to set up an international commission to investigate human rights violations committed in Darfur. The following month, the Secretary-General appointed a five-member panel of highly regarded legal experts: chairperson Antonio Cassese, Mohammed Fayek, Hina Jilani, Dumisa Ntsebeza and Thérèse Striggner Scott.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1935, adopted unanimously on July 30, 2010, after reaffirming all previous resolutions and statements on the situation in Sudan, the Council extended the mandate of the African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for a further 12 months until July 31, 2011 and demanded an end to fighting and attacks on United Nations personnel and civilians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1547</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2004

United Nations Security Council resolution 1547, adopted unanimously on 11 June 2004, after welcoming the commitment of the Sudanese government and Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) to work towards a full ceasefire and peace agreement to end the Second Sudanese Civil War, the council established a United Nations Advance Team in Sudan to prepare for a future United Nations operation following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The brief reference to the situation in the Darfur region divided Council members, with Algeria, China and Pakistan against a mention of Darfur and the other two-thirds of the council supporting its inclusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2004

United Nations Security Council resolution 1556, adopted on 30 July 2004, after recalling resolutions 1502 (2003) and 1547 (2004) on the situation in Sudan, the council demanded that the Sudanese government disarm the Janjaweed militia and bring to justice those who had committed violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1574</span> United Nations Security Council resolution

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1574, adopted unanimously at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on 19 November 2004, after recalling resolutions 1547 (2004), 1556 (2004) and 1564 (2004), the council welcomed political efforts to resolve the conflicts in Sudan and reiterated its readiness to establish a mission to support the implementation of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1590</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1590, adopted unanimously on 24 March 2005, after recalling resolutions 1547 (2004), 1556 (2004), 1564 (2004), 1574 (2004), 1585 (2005) and 1588 (2005) on the situation in Sudan, the Council established the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for an initial period of six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1651</span> UN Security Council resolution on Sudan

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1651, adopted unanimously on 21 December 2005, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly resolutions 1556 (2004) and 1591 (2005), the Council extended the mandate of an expert panel monitoring sanctions against and violations of human rights in the Darfur region until 29 March 2006. It was the last Security Council resolution adopted in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1663</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1663, adopted unanimously on March 24, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly 1627 (2005) and 1653 (2006), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for six months until September 24, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1665</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1665, adopted unanimously on March 29, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly resolutions 1556 (2004), 1591 (2005) and 1651 (2005), extended the mandate of an expert panel monitoring sanctions against and violations of human rights in the Darfur region until September 29, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1713</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1713, adopted unanimously on September 29, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, particularly resolutions 1556 (2004), 1591 (2005), 1651 (2005) and 1665 (2006), the Council extended the mandate of an expert panel monitoring sanctions against and violations of human rights in the Darfur region until September 29, 2007, and requested the Secretary-General to add another expert to the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 2003</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2011

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2003, adopted unanimously on July 29, 2011, after reaffirming all previous resolutions and statements on the situation in Sudan, the Council extended the mandate of the African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for a further 12 months until July 31, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darfur genocide</span> 2003–2005 violence against Darfuris in Sudan

The Darfur genocide was the systematic killing of ethnic Darfuri people during the War in Darfur. The genocide, which was carried out against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, led the International Criminal Court (ICC) to indict several people for crimes against humanity, rape, forced transfer and torture. An estimated 200,000 people were killed between 2003 and 2005. Other sources estimate that between 2003 and 2008, the conflict resulted in about 300,000 civilian deaths and about 2.7 million displaced civilians.

References

  1. 1 2 "Security Council declares intention to consider sanctions to obtain Sudan's full compliance with security, disarmament obligations on Darfur". United Nations. 18 September 2004.
  2. Hoge, Warren (18 September 2004). "U.N. Threatens Sanctions Against Sudan". The New York Times .
  3. Hilaire, Max (2005). United Nations law and the Security Council. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 306. ISBN   978-0-7546-4489-7.
  4. Collins, Robert O. (2005). Civil wars and revolution in the Sudan: essays on the Sudan, Southern Sudan and Darfur, 1962–2004. Tsehai Publishers. p. 166. ISBN   978-0-9748198-7-7.
  5. Happold, Matthew (2006). "Darfur, the Security Council, and the International Criminal Court". International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 55. Cambridge University Press: 226–236. doi:10.1093/iclq/lei074.
  6. Burr, Millard; Collins, Robert O. (2008). Darfur: The Long Road to Disaster. Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 302. ISBN   978-1-55876-470-5.