Sudan, 1996

Allow me at the outset to express to Mr. Razali Ismail

our sincere congratulations on his election as President of

the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. His rich

experience, wisdom and knowledge will definitely lead to

the success of our deliberations, which are taking place in

very delicate international circumstances. I assure him of

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the full support and assistance of my delegation in

discharging his task successfully.

Allow me also to take this opportunity to express my

sincere appreciation to the outgoing President, Mr. Freitas

do Amaral, for his successful efforts in leading the work of

the fiftieth session of the General Assembly.

The international community had keenly hoped that

the post-cold-war era would result in an end to the tensions

that had characterized the international scene and to the

arms race and armed conflicts. All nations, particularly

those in the developing world, have aspirations to build a

new world order whose cornerstone would be equality

among States, non-interference in their internal affairs,

transparency and respect for ideological, cultural and

religious diversity.

Any observer of today’s international scene would

conclude that events are completely contrary to

expectations. Tensions have escalated, and political, military

and economic threats are on the increase. Apparently,

equality among States of sovereignty, rights and obligations

no longer exists. Moreover, the nuclear threat still lingers

on, military conflicts have not ceased and ideological

fanaticism and cultural hegemony have become the major

features of the new world order.

The Sudan is of the view that the structure of the

international community, which is based on ideological,

political and cultural diversity and pluralism, prompts us all

to accept peaceful coexistence and dictates that harmony

and diversity among nations become the vehicle for

interaction and dialogue within the framework of pursuing

national interests in the context of the international system.

The nations of the world expect the United Nations to

be a forum in which they can express their views and

positions and an instrument for the continued pursuit of

humanity’s aspirations to freedom, prosperity, peace and

security.

It is against that background that the call has sounded

for the reform of the United Nations system. True and

sincere adherence to the spirit and letter of the Charter of

the United Nations, equality, respect for the sovereignty of

Member States, non-interference in their internal affairs and

respect for their right to choose are the bases for

strengthening the United Nations and fostering its role,

transparency and democratization, so that it may meet the

enormous challenges of maintaining international peace and

security and serving economic and social development.

I should like to point out that my country has

followed with satisfaction the positive reforms that have

been undertaken by the Secretary-General. The Sudan

supports the position expressed by both the League of

Arab States and the Organization of African Unity

endorsing the re-election of Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali

for a second term.

The Sudan also welcomes General Assembly

resolution 50/227 on the restructuring and revitalization of

the United Nations in the economic, social and related

fields. On the other hand, it is imperative that a thorough

review of the Security Council take place to ensure its

democratization and to allow for equitable representation

by the developing countries, including permanent

membership. There is a strong need to review the work

and procedures of the Security Council in order to

achieve transparency and to enable all States to follow the

formal and informal meetings of the Council. It is equally

vital that the decision-making mechanism be corrected by

establishing just criteria to guide its policies and distance

it from selectivity and double standards. In this context,

the veto concept must be reviewed and corrected so that

the principle of equality among Member States stipulated

in the Charter of the United Nations may become a

reality.

Finally, the Security Council should discharge its

political responsibilities without addressing legal issues,

which fall within the jurisdiction of the International

Court of Justice, as stipulated in the Charter and the

Statute of the Court. The Court must be enhanced to

enable it to shoulder its responsibilities in handling legal

disputes among Member States.

In this connection, it is important to note the new

trend towards the imposition of sanctions against some

countries as a means of settling certain disputes, as has

been witnessed recently. Such sanctions have adversely

affected the people of those countries, particularly the

vulnerable sectors of society, namely, women, children

and the elderly, the very sectors that the United Nations

has pledged to protect and develop. It is therefore

necessary to reconsider the basis on which sanctions are

imposed, the duration of such sanctions and the lifting of

them when the requirements have been met or when their

implications give rise to human suffering.

The ideal means for settling most recent conflicts is

through strict compliance with the provisions for conflict

resolution as stipulated in the Charter, the consolidation

of cooperation among States, the encouragement of

16

dialogue and the fostering of international public opinion

through common understanding. Therefore, my country

welcomes the endeavours designed to enhance preventive

diplomacy and its mechanisms in order to achieve these

goals.

I wish now to touch upon some important international

issues. We look forward to the success of the ongoing

efforts of the countries of West Africa, under the leadership

of our sister country, Nigeria, to ensure that the people of

Liberia are able to achieve stability. We also hope that the

efforts to end the conflict in Angola will stop the bloodshed

and steer the country towards development. We also call on

the people of our sister country, Somalia, and the factions

there, to rise above their differences in order to preserve

independence and unity and resume their march towards

prosperity and progress.

We also hope that Rwanda and Burundi will achieve

stability, and that they will use diversity as an element of

unity and strength. We call for the enhancement and

support of the role of the Organization of African Unity in

its efforts towards settlement of these conflicts. Africa, as

the continent of the future, needs the support of the

international community so that it can achieve political

stability and economic development, and contribute to

establishing a more just and stable international community.

As for the sanctions imposed on the Libyan people,

we fully support the Libyan initiatives, which are also

supported by the League of Arab States and the

Organization of African Unity, to put an end to the conflict

between Libya and three Western countries. My country

appeals to the international community to exert greater

efforts to reach a final settlement to this dispute and to

alleviate the suffering of the Libyan people by ending the

embargo to which they are subjected.

As for the Middle East, Sudan believes that peace

should be built on the principles of justice and respect for

the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab

peoples in the region, and that peace must also be based on

the commitments agreed to by the parties concerned. Any

retreat from agreed obligations and commitments

contradicts a real desire to achieve peace.

The irresponsible practices of the occupying Power

will have serious repercussions for the peoples and

countries of the region, and will have a negative effect on

international peace and security. Therefore, Sudan calls for

the immediate implementation of all relevant Security

Council resolutions in order to achieve a just and

comprehensive peace on all tracks of the process. We

draw the attention of the international community to the

precarious situation in the region, the consequences of

continued failure and the increasing possibilities of

confrontation, which make it necessary for the

international community to be vigilant, dynamic and strict

in implementing justice and the rule of law so as to save

the region from the potential scourge of war.

With regard to the Gulf region, we look forward to

the restoration of the peace and security that it enjoyed

before to the war. The Sudan would like to reiterate the

importance of compliance with Security Council

resolutions regarding the sovereignty and legitimate rights

to existence of Kuwait, and the rights of its people and

leadership with regard to security and stability. Similarly,

we reiterate the right of Iraq to sovereignty, territorial

integrity and independence. We call upon the international

community to lift the sanctions imposed on Iraq, which

are causing suffering and starvation for the Iraqi people,

and, in this respect, we call for the implementation of

Security Council resolution 986 (1995).

With regard to Europe, my country expresses its

satisfaction with the signing of the Dayton Agreement,

aimed at ending the suffering of the people of Bosnia and

Herzegovina. For several years their suffering caused

anguish in the conscience of the international community.

We also express our heartfelt congratulations to President

Alija Izetbegovic´ for gaining the people’s confidence in

his leadership. We call upon the United Nations to work

for the full implementation of the Dayton Agreement, in

particular the prosecution of Serb leaders responsible for

the crimes of genocide, “ethnic cleansing” and other

violations of international law. We also call on the

international community to provide the necessary

assistance and resources for the reconstruction of Bosnia

and Herzegovina.

With regard to Asia, we express our satisfaction with

the agreement reached between the Government of the

Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front,

which reflects the wisdom of both parties. In this context,

we commend the efforts of President Soeharto of

Indonesia and his Foreign Minister, which culminated in

the agreement.

Social and economic development is the primary

requisite for political stability to deter the scourge of wars

and conflicts. In this respect we express the deep concern

of Africa, which calls for justice, an end to its

marginalization, and compensation for all the injustices

17

inflicted on it during the colonial era and for the inequities

of the international economic order.

The majority of the least developed countries are in

Africa, and they need support and assistance. The debts of

African countries, which exceed $300 billion, have become

the main impediment to the ambitions of the continent to

achieve development and to ensure the prosperity of its

peoples. In most African countries debt-servicing costs

exceed the gross national product and total export earnings.

The African countries have welcomed the World Bank

initiative to reduce the debt burden of the least developed

countries. Sudan believes that the effective solution of the

debt crisis requires agreement on a unified strategy, with

the aim of cancelling or reducing debts for all those

countries, without exception. We also call on the

international community to provide the necessary financial

support for the Secretary-General’s Initiative for

development in Africa.

The mid-term reviews of the Paris Programme of

Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s and

of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of

Africa in the 1990s have shown that pledges should be

followed by action, not by more promises.

In the field of food security and the prevention of

famine, which are issues of primary concern to Africa and

the rest of the world, my country places high hopes on the

forthcoming World Food Summit, which will take place at

Rome in November 1996, which will seek solutions for the

problem of food security throughout the world. Sudan,

which is perceived to be one of the countries with the

potential to play a considerable role in the production of

food, is ready to shoulder its responsibility, together with a

serious contribution from the international community

towards that end.

Human rights issues have priority on the agenda of the

United Nations. They receive the full support of my

country, based on our conviction that human beings are the

only creatures that have been honoured and given

responsibility by Almighty God, and on our commitment to

human rights covenants.

However, we disagree with the growing tendency to

exploit human rights issues to serve the political interests of

certain circles, in a manner that jeopardizes the principles

of human rights. Selectivity does not serve the cause of

human rights as well as objectivity and comprehensiveness;

confrontation and condemnation do not support human

rights as well as cooperation, conviction and

encouragement.

In line with this understanding, my country has

established the Advisory Council for Human Rights, to

protect human rights and investigate all accusations and

complaints in this regard. The Sudan also resumed its

cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on human rights

after the causes of our withdrawal of cooperation had

been removed. We reiterate here our commitment to

cooperation on this matter, in accordance with the

principles of objectivity, transparency and respect for

cultural diversity and pluralism. This last principle

prompts me to refer to the attack on Islam, which

portrays it as barbaric and links it to terrorism. These

malicious allegations are unjust; Islam is completely

innocent. They contravene the principle of respect for all

religions without exception. Wrong practices do not

constitute evidence to justify negative judgements on the

religious beliefs of those who perpetrate them. Such

trends make all religions and philosophies susceptible to

condemnation, regardless of their sources or origins.

Islam is the religion of tolerance and coexistence.

We therefore call upon the international community to

stop this ferocious campaign targeting Islam, and call

upon the United Nations to distance itself from it. We

hope that the positive positions of a number of Western

leaders towards Islam will be echoed by the communities

in the West, their mass media and their justice systems.

I deem it necessary, in addressing the Assembly, to

shed light on some important political developments in

my country. I hope members will listen attentively to

what I am about to say and will open their hearts while

I touch on the circumstances that surrounded the adoption

of Security Council resolutions 1044 (1996), 1054 (1996)

and 1070 (1996), respectively, against my country.

First, it has been proven that 11 Egyptians were the

organizers and perpetrators of the attempt that was the

subject of these resolutions.

Second, prior to the incident the suspects had been

moving in a number of Arab, African and Asian

countries. The Sudan was but one of these countries.

Third, the Security Council has based its resolutions

on the statement of the Organization of African Unity

(OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management

and Resolution, which called upon the Sudan to look for,

locate and extradite the suspects if — and I underline

18

if — they were found in the Sudan. This was stipulated in

the Mechanism’s decision of 19 December 1995.

Fourth, those resolutions were based on the

assumption that the three suspects, who are Egyptians, were

in the Sudan at the time the other members of the group

entered Addis Ababa from other countries, several months

before the incident.

Fifth — and this I would underline — no evidence

was produced to prove that the suspects were in the Sudan

at the time the incident took place or at the time the Sudan

was asked to hand over the suspects, which request was

received more than a month after the incident.

Sixth, a secret trial was conducted for the three

suspects, who were sentenced to death. Concerned States

and observers were never allowed to witness the trial.

Seventh, the Sudan has unequivocally condemned this

incident since day one, and it has expressed its readiness to

cooperate with the concerned parties.

Eighth, the Sudan received the first request to arrest

the suspects 32 days after the incident. The request did not

provide sufficient information about the suspects.

Ninth, the competent Sudanese authorities conducted

exhaustive and complete investigations, but these did not

yield any information or prove the presence of the suspects

on Sudanese territory.

Tenth, though the Sudan has time and again requested

the cooperation of concerned countries and of the

International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in

this regard, its efforts have been in vain.

Eleventh, it has been proven that the first suspect is in

Afghanistan. An official document confirming that fact was

submitted to the Security Council by the Afghan

Government. Moreover, in statements to the press, the first

suspect claimed full responsibility for the incident and

confirmed that he has not entered the Sudan since 1994.

Twelfth, the Sudan reiterates its full readiness to

cooperate with all parties concerned, and it emphasizes that

all available evidence indicates that the suspects are not

present on Sudanese territory.

To insist on imposing sanctions on the Sudan defies

logic and justice. This must be reconsidered in order to

redress the injustice inflicted on my country and to alleviate

the negative impact of this recurrent series of sanctions,

which could cause massive human suffering to innocent

people.

As we stated before the Assembly last year, we

reiterate our condemnation of terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations. We reaffirm our readiness to

cooperate and to participate effectively in efforts to

combat terrorism. We are actively involved in this matter

at regional levels, in particular within the framework of

the League of Arab States. We reiterate our commitment

to contribute to the establishment of more secure, stable

and just international relations.

The Sudan has witnessed a number of internal

political developments this year. Parliamentary elections

were held, followed by a presidential election by direct

balloting. All Sudanese citizens exercised their democratic

right in a free and fair election monitored by

representatives of friendly countries and international and

regional bodies.

The genuine efforts my Government has exerted

tirelessly in recent years have culminated in the signing

of a political charter between the Government and two

important rebel factions. In response to the signing of the

political charter, other rebel factions joined the peace

process, most recently the SPLA, the Popular Movement

for Peace and the Popular Movement for the Liberation

of the Sudan.

While our charter affirms that shariah and are the

main sources of legislation in the country, it allows States

to promulgate complementary legislation compatible with

their needs. We in the Sudan recognize cultural diversity.

In accordance with our charter, freedom of religious

belief and the prohibition of forceful conversion to any

religion or faith are fully granted. We also recognize

pluralism. Accordingly, we guarantee the right to religion

and belief. No one can be forced to accept any religious

belief.

The Charter ensures the fair distribution of resources

and power-sharing among citizens. It also calls for the

establishment of a coordination council for the southern

states in order to contribute to the implementation of the

provisions stipulating the holding of a comprehensive

referendum among the citizens of southern Sudan after an

interim period, the length of which has yet to be

negotiated.

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Relentless efforts are being made in order to reach a

settlement with the faction that has thus far remained

outside of the peace process. Consultations and coordination

are currently under way with the concerned parties, in

particular with the countries of the region represented in the

Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development

(IGADD).

The Sudan welcomes and appreciates the contribution

by friendly countries towards our sincere and genuine

search for lasting peace in our country. I am pleased to

inform members of the Khartoum agreement, signed

between the Sudan and Uganda through the kind and much

appreciated mediation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This

agreement was further strengthened by the conclusion in

Tehran last week of an agreement on a verification

mechanism for the implementation of the agreement, with

the participation of Iran and Malawi.

At this juncture, as I speak of Sudan’s greatest and

most urgent priority — peace — I wish to pay tribute to

the intensive intellectual efforts being exerted by the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO), within its specific mandate in the United

Nations system and by all ways and means available to it,

to establish a culture of peace. This is based on the

construction in the minds of men in defence of peace, as

stipulated in the preamble of UNESCO’s statute.

My Government has fully cooperated with UNESCO

in the promotion of the noble objectives of this programme.

We did so notably through our contribution to the 1995

Barcelona conference and to the follow-up seminar in the

Netherlands in May 1996. We sincerely hope that such

dialogue will continue, with a view to creating an

environment conducive to achieving a comprehensive

peace.

For more than three decades, my country has hosted

over a million refugees from neighbouring countries as a

result of the unstable security situation in those countries.

We have provided them security and stability as well as

educational, health and other essential services. In the

framework of solving the refugee problem through

voluntary repatriation, the Sudan has cooperated with the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees (UNHCR) and other concerned countries, and has

signed tripartite agreements for the repatriation of the

refugees from some of those countries. We hope to reach

similar agreements concerning the rest of the refugees, thus

guaranteeing their repatriation in dignity.

We call upon the international community to share

this burden with the Government of the Sudan. As the

Sudan is experiencing severe economic difficulties, the

resources allocated to refugee programmes have

diminished considerably. This has resulted in severe

pressures on Sudan’s public sector, since the refugees

share food and services with Sudanese citizens.

Aware of its responsibilities towards its people, the

Sudan has sought to deliver food and other relief

assistance to its war-affected populations throughout the

country, including in areas controlled by the rebels.

Based on this understanding, the Sudan initiated the

idea of Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) and has

consistently urged its implementation in cooperation with

the United Nations. A number of General Assembly

resolutions have commended the full cooperation between

the Sudan and the United Nations in this Operation. The

practical implementation of OLS has yielded a number of

important observations, which we will submit to the

review meeting scheduled this month in the hope of an

adequate response. We urge and hope that the next phase

of OLS will see a fairer distribution of relief supplies and

that it will contribute further towards the development and

rehabilitation process, thus promoting an environment

conducive to peace and stability.

In spite of these observations, I should like to

express the full commitment of the Government of the

Sudan to cooperation with the United Nations in the

implementation of the objectives of Operation Lifeline

Sudan in accordance with the principles of neutrality,

transparency and respect for the sovereignty of my

country.

As mankind approaches the dawn of the new

century, we hope that the United Nations will be its

vehicle and bridge to a world in which hope, peace and

justice will prevail. Let us unite our wills and harmonize

our ideals towards the achievement of this noble

objective.