UN Security Council Background PDF

UN Security Council Background 2014
1 Background

Villahermosa, Tabasco, November, 2014.

Greetings, delegates:

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is pleased to give you the
warmest welcome to all of you to the 7
th
Model of United Nations of the
Universidad del Valle de Mxico, event which will be held in November of
this year.
First of all, let us thank you for choosing our committee, the Security Council.
Our primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and
security, calling upon the parties to a dispute with the purpouse of settling a
threat or an act of aggression by peaceful means and recommend
methods of adjustment or terms of settlement.
In this event, you will participate as delegates in order to establish a reliable
resolution for the current South-Sudan Crisis. During the next sessions, we, the
chairperson and moderators of the committee are going to instruct you into
the parliamentary procedure of the UVMMUN, as well as guiding you in the
realization of your position papers and the severity of the problem.
We expect you to be part of the conflict as the actual delegates would do.
Having said that, it is our duty to teach you all the requirements and
procedures to succeed in this UVMMUN.

The best of luck for all of you, the Chairperson and Moderators.


2 Background

Organ: Security Council

Under Secretary: Alessandra Beauregard

Committee: Security Council

Topic: The South Sudan Crisis (South Sudanese Civil
War)

Chair: Andrea Martnez Ordinola

Moderators: Elisa Reyes Ramos
Gibran Castaeda Luna


3 Background

INDEX
Introduction..4
Historical Background.......8
Timeline.....10
List of countries/POSITION....11
Statistics.....18
The South Sudan Crisis: Origin and Progress20
Internal and External Factors...27
Objective of the Committee...27
Mind Map...28
Bibliography...30


4 Background

United Nations Security Council
The South Sudan Crisis

Introduction
The Security Council was created following World War II to address the
failings of another international organization, the League of Nations, in
maintaining world peace. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, UN
peacekeeping efforts increased dramatically in scale, and the Security
Council authorized major military and peacekeeping missions. The Security
Council held its first session on January 17
th
, 1946 at Church House,
Westminster, London. Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken
permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and
each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are
obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat
to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to

5 Background

settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or
terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to
imposing sanctions or even
authorize the use of force to
maintain or restore international
peace and security.
The Security Council also
recommends to the General
Assembly the appointment of the
Secretary-General and the
admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the
General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice.
Under the United Nations Charter, the functions and powers of the Security
Council are:
to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the
principles and purposes of the United Nations;
to investigate any dispute or situation which mightlead to
international friction;
to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of
settlement;
to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate
armaments;
to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of
aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures
not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
to take military action against an aggressor;
to recommend the admission of new Members;

6 Background

to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic
areas";

Current Members
Permanent and Non-Permanent Members
The Council is composed of 15 Members:
five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the
United Kingdom, and the United States,
and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the
General Assembly (with end of term date):
1. Argentina (2014)
2. Australia (2014)
3. Chad (2015)
4. Chile (2015)
5. Jordan (2015)
6. Lithuania (2015)
7. Luxembourg (2014)
8. Nigeria (2015)
9. Republic of Korea (2014)
10. Rwanda (2014)


7 Background

Non-Council Member States
More than 60 United Nations Member States have never been Members of
the Security Council.
A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security
Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council
considers that that country's interests are affected.
In case of a dispute being considered in the council the non-members of
the council will be considered to participate, althoung they will not be
aloud to take part in the voting.
In the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation
by a non-member State.

8 Background

Historical Background
South Sudan was born in July 2011, breaking away from
Sudan after a five-decade struggle against rule by Khartoum.
That long war between the Arab Muslim north and the black
African south claimed about two million lives. The outcome
was that the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), which
led the struggle against Khartoum, then took power in the new
country. Guerrillas are not generally good at building states
and running governments and so it has proved in South
Sudan. Critics say that Mr. Kiir runs a militarised, autocratic
and corrupt administration which has failed at the task of
state-building.
On December 15
th
, 2013, a long-standing power struggle
between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former
Vice President Dr. Riek Machar came to a head. Both men
claim allegiance to the ruling Sudan Peoples Liberation
Movement (SPLM), South Sudan's most powerful political
party. Nonetheless, they had been at odds for some time. In
July 2013, Kiir dismissed Machar from his position of Vice
President along with all the other members of the cabinet.
Machar accused Kiir of abusing his executive authority and
publicly announced his intention to challenge Kiir in the 2015

9 Background

elections. Kiir in turn appointed a new cabinet, welcoming
traditional opposition figures into the fold. Tensions simmered
until early December, when a group of former government
officials held a press conference challenging President Kiirs
leadership of the party. By mid-December, after a tense
meeting of the ruling partys most senior leaders, President
Kiir accused Machar and other leaders of trying to overthrow
him militarily.
Soon, both leaders and their allies took up arms. By
leveraging existing ethnic fissures and capitalizing on an
atmosphere of fear, both sides successfully mobilized
supporters throughout South Sudan. Kiir and Machar are each
from the two largest ethnic groups in South Sudan the Dinka
and Nuer. As fighting between the two armed groups spread
beyond the capital city, violence increasingly moved along
ethnic lines.


10 Background


11 Background

List of countries /POSITION
Argentina

The nation recognizes South Sudan as a
free and independent state.
Australia

Australia contributes military and police
personnel to UNMISS (The United
Nations Mission in the Republic of South
Sudan) and recently provided
additional support through strategic
airlift operations.
Chad

The populations of eastern Chad and
western Sudan established social and
religious ties long before either nation's
independence, and these remained
strong despite disputes between
governments. Chad and Sudan also
committed themselves to joint military
border patrols.
Chile

Chile assumed its role as one of the
new non-permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The nation higlights the suport to
human rights and gender perspective,
as essential foundations of multilateral

12 Background

action.Its avoids the possibilitie to take
armed measures.

China

Driven by commercial interests, China is
taking the unusual step of mediating
between rival South Sudanese factions.
Ethiopia

Chair of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development, Ethiopia
initiated a six-week investigation to
research the mutual allegations of
continued support to and harboring of
armed groups operating against the
other state.
France

France welcomes the forthcoming
resumption of negotiations between
Sudan and South Sudan. It encourages
the parties to comply without further
delay with the UN Security Council
resolutions and to implement the road
map adopted by the African Union on
April 24
th
.

13 Background

Jordan

Jordan recognized South Sudan after
the African country formally declared
independence, becoming the worlds
newest nation.

Kenya

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar
has held talks with Kenya's leader in the
Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Negotiations
are aimed at forming a government of
national unity.

Lithuania

The Permanent Representative of
Lithuania Ambassador Raimonda
Murmokait, delivered a statement in
the United Nations Security Council
open briefing on situation in South
Sudan. Ambassador noted that both
the government and the armed
opposition must investigate the
horrendous crimes that have been
committed, and perpetrators must be
arrested and prosecuted with full
respect for internationally recognised
standards.


14 Background

Luxembourg

Luxembourg was among the first
countries to recognize the Republic of
South Sudan on the day of its
independence, July 9
th
, 2011.
Luxembourg is strongly committed to
accompany the new nation on its path
towards sustainable peace,
development and prosperity.
Nigeria

Nigeria condemned the coup and said
that its "information further reveals that
government forces were able to beat
back the rebels.
Russia

Russia strongly supports Sudan's
territorial integrity and opposes the
creation of an independent Darfur
state. Russia is Sudan's strongest
investment partner and political ally in
Europe, and Russia has repeatedly and
significantly regarded Sudan as an
important global ally in the African
continent. Russia will use its veto in the
Security Council to block United
Nations sanctions on South Sudan.
Russia explains that imposing new
sanctions on South Sudan "will not help

15 Background

the efforts of peace."
Rwanda

South Sudan's youngest victims
Twenty years ago, in the New Year of
1994, reports warned of the threat of
genocide in Rwanda as the radical
Hutu government incited hatred
against the Tutsi. As tensions rise
between the South Sudan's two largest
ethnic groups, the Dinka and Nuer,
commentators are now recalling the
events in Rwanda with reference to this
crisis. Preventing a devastating civil war
from gripping South Sudan is urgent,
but focus must also be given to
preventing genocide, which is a high
risk, cause it could instensify the
instability between these groups.
South Korea

South Korea helped by sending UN
peacekeepers to South Sudan.


16 Background

South Sudan

South Sudan gained independence
from Sudan in July 2011 as the outcome
of a 2005 peace deal that ended
Africa's longest-running civil war. After
decades of brutal civil war that left two
and a half million dead, the
devastated and vastly
underdeveloped southern part of
Sudan secured its independence in
2011. During its first years of
independence, an oil standoff with
neighboring Sudan, inter-communal
violence, persistent rebellions by splinter
militia groups, increasingly constrained
political space, corruption, and limited
economic opportunities troubled the
young nation. Then, in 2013. a power
struggle within the ruling political party
mutated into an armed conflict, first on
the streets of the capital city, and then
across the country.
Sudan

The conflict in Sudan has many faces,
the best known are a North-South
conflict, that problem in Darfur or an
Arab-African conflict. The reality is
that Sudan is deeply complex with
many isolated but often overlapping
conflicts that blur common
perceptions. As Sudan prepared to

17 Background

gain independence from joint British
and Egyptian rule in 1956, southern
leaders accused the new authorities in
Khartoum of backing out of promises to
create a federal system, and of trying
to impose an Islamic and Arabic
identity.
Uganda

Uganda's president said that the
nations of East Africa had agreed to
move in to defeat South Sudanese
rebel leader Riek Machar if he rejected
a ceasefire offer, threatening to turn a
riot between ethnic groups into a
regional conflict.
United Kingdom

The UK government announced it was
sending an aircraft to evacuate its
citizens from Juba on 19 December.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
had also warned against all travel to
South Sudan and temporarily withdrew
some staff and dependants from the
British embassy.
United States of America

In the first days of the conflict, the
U.S. embassy reported that while it
was aware of "security incidents
and sporadic gunfire in multiple
locations" it could not confirm "that
gunfire and insecurity have fully

18 Background

Statistics

ceased. President Barack Obama
then called for an end to the
fighting amid warning of being at
the "precipice" of civil war.

19 Background

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Internally
displaced
Seeking refuge
at UN
Fled the
country
Displaced people in the conflict
Total
Corresponding
Percentage

20 Background

The South Sudan Crisis: Origin and Progress
Emergence of the conflict
Citizens and most of the population on South Sudan felt uneasy and
worried, because after getting its Independence as a new-born country the
Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), which led the struggle against
Khartoum, then took power in the new country. Guerrillas are not generally
good at building states and running governments and so it has proved in
South Sudan. Critics say that Mr. Kiir runs a militarised, autocratic and
corrupt administration which has failed at the task of state-building.
On December 15
th
, 2013, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit
announced that an attempted coup had been staged by his dismissed
vice president Riek Machar and some of his
supporters. Right after this announcement,
armed conflict broke out in the nations
capital Juba and rapidly spread to others,
including Bor, capital of Jonglei; Bentiu in
the oil-producing Unity state; and Malakal,
capital of the Upper Nile state. South
Sudan thus entered into a full-blown
confrontation, complicated by conflicts
over power, wealth, and tribal divisions.
Development
In July 2013, President Salva Kiir removed his vice-president Riek Machar
and all members of the government in a sweeping cabinet reshuffle. In a
separate decision, Pagan Amum, secretary-general of South Sudans ruling
party the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), was chastised for

(Salva Kiir and Riek Machar)

21 Background

publicly criticizing the governments performance. These decisions came as
a result of an internal power struggle among the leadership of the SPLM that
had been building since July 2005, shortly after the death of the
movements leader John Garang in a suspicious helicopter crash.
Conflicts among the Souths leadership surfaced following Machars
dismissal, when he announced his intention to run for president in the 2015
elections. Machar was supported by a number of former officials who had
been sacked by President Kiir, including Pagan Amum, secretary-general of
the SPLM; Deng Alor, Sudanese minister of state for foreign affairs before
partition; and Rebecca Garang, widow of the movements founder John
Garang.
On November 10
th
, 2013, The Sudan Telegraph, an English-language
newspaper, reported that a meeting of the South Sudanese leadership
would take place from
November 23
rd
-25
th
to
make long overdue
decisions on fundamental
issues, including the
constitution.
President Salva Kiir called it
a low punch attempt and
announced that it had
been put down the next
day, but fighting again erupted on December 16
th
and spread beyond the
capital (Which is Juba), to the region around Jonglei (which is susceptible to
ethnic conflicto). Early estimates stated that at least 1,000 people were
reported to have been killed and over 800 other people were injured, in
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Injured Deaths
People reported to have been
killed and injured in Juba,
Dec 15
th
-17
th
Deaths
Injured People

22 Background

Juba, but this number has now been cited to be much higher than initially
thought as Human Rights
President Salva Kiirs opponents have continued to accuse him of tailoring
the constitution to concentrate power in his hands, and claim that he is
rapidly turning into a dictator with absolute power. On the basis of party
rules, elections should be held every five years, but have been delayed
since April 2010. Those criticizing President Kiir and his governments
performance began spearheading a drive within the party to change its
leadership, as well as the governments, through tactical political action
alongside a media campaign, both of which should focus on how Kiir is
running a security state and restricting freedom of the press and freedom of
speech.
Conflict among the Southern Tribes
South Sudan is a home to dozens of tribes that derive from three main
groups. The largest is the Nilotic group, representing 65 percent of the
population and the tribes with the greatest political influence. Within this
group, the DinkaPresident Kiirs tribemake up 40 percent, and the
Nuerthe second major group and former vice-president Riek Machars
tribe, accounts for about 20 percent. Pagan Amum, secretary-general of
the SPLM, and Lam Akol Ajawin, one of the historical leaders, belong to the
Shilluk, which represents 5 percent of the population. Ajawin disagreed with
John Garang, and became an ally of Khartoum, where he lived until the
SPLM split. He only recently returned to Juba after having received
assurances.

23 Background

In 1984, during the civil war between north and south and following the
collapse of the 1972 Addis Ababa agreement, Riek Machar joined the
Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), the SPLMs military wing. In 1991, he
led an uprising within the SPLA after he and others, including Lam Akol,
disagreed with Garangs desire to maintain the unity of Sudan. Machar and
his supporters were in favor of complete secession. As a result, a bloody
conflict ensued, causing more casualties than all the wars between the
North and South. In
1997, Machar made
an agreement with
the Khartoum
government. The
agreement enabled
President al-Bashirs
regime to use
Machars forces to
secure the oil fields
in the war-stricken
areas, and in doing
so, weakened the
SPLA. However, Machar returned to Garangs movement a few years later,
and after Garangs death, he was chosen as Kiirs vice president.
Likely Consequences of the Conflict
Even though both sides have agreed to meet for talks in Addis Ababa as a
result of regional and international pressures, armed clashes have been
ongoing for the last two weeks, and the rebels have recaptured Bor,
Jongleis state capital, from the governments army. President Kiir agreed to

24 Background

negotiations without preconditions, and released eight of the eleven
officials detained in the aftermath of the proclaimed military coup.
In light of the most recent confrontations, it is clear that the rebels two main
objectives are the oil fields and securing a military presence on the ground.
Should the South split into more than one state, the oil fields would become
the controlling partys economic pillar. This is particularly important as oil is
the only revenue source for the Republic of South Sudan, making political
concessions over the control of the oil fields key to any negotiations.
Currently, Machars forces are in control of strategic areas, strengthening
their negotiating position. The present conflict shows that two centers of
power exist in South Sudan, regardless of the outcome of any negotiations.
As a result, the structure of the South Sudanese state will continue to be
drawn on tribal lines.
This assessment is confirmed by the speed with which President Kiir sought
assistance from neighboring states, such as Ugandawhich threatened to
intervene to prevent the presidents forced removalafter the rebels
exposed his militarys weakness. It appears, then, that negotiations will take
place to simultaneously maintain Kiirs government and grant some of the
rebels demands.
The Effects on Sudan
The Souths secession had a major impact on the Norths economy, with the
loss of more than 70 percent of its oil revenues. To meet the resulting annual
budget deficit, Sudan relied on transit fees imposed on the Souths oil,
estimated at two US billion dollars. The importance of this revenue was
confirmed when President al-Bashir stopped the flow of the Souths oil
across the Norths territory in retaliation for the Souths support for the rebel
movements in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile state. An economic crisis

25 Background

ensued wherein the value of the Sudanese pound fell sharply against the US
dollar, reaching only 13 percent of its former value. The economic downturn
and budget deficit pushed the Sudanese government to remove fuel
subsidies, leading to the outbreak of wide-scale protests in September 2013,
which the authorities put down after the deaths of hundreds of people.
Sudan will most likely experience further economic difficulties as the Souths
conflict could halt the flow of oil. It will be difficult for the government to
take any economic measures to meet the deficit, such as imposing
additional taxes, after the latest protests. Additionally, the Sudanese
government cannot seek Arab financial aid as a result of its controversial
foreign policy and alignments.
Furthermore, the conflict over the oil fields in the Unity and Upper Nile states,
both of which have long borders with Sudan, could lead to the flow of large
number of refugees into Sudan. This will create financial, logistical, and
security burdens on the Sudanese government that it will be unable to
cope with. Instability in the border regions will also have a negative effect
on border trade, which benefits both countries.
Lastly, the border regions have witnessed considerable tension between the
North and the South over the past year, with armed clashes occurring in the
Abyei region, in addition to the South Sudanese Armys attack on Sudanese
oil facilities at Heglig. The Sudanese government also accused South Sudan
of backing the revolutionary front fighting the Khartoum government in
South Kordofan and Blue Nile, which also led to a serious economic
downturn in the North and South. However, the South was more affected
because of its economic vulnerability. After several rounds of talks,
however, the two came to an agreement and the flow of oil resumed. After
this crisis, President Kiir developed a more realistic and understanding

26 Background

position regarding the North; his opponents, Pagan Amum and Deng Alor in
particular, however, have adopted a more hardline stance.
Since fighting between government troops and rebel
forces erupted last year:
Over one million people have left their homes and are now displaced
within South Sudan.
More than 80,000 people have sought refuge at various UN compounds
across the country. In Juba, 80 percent of displaced people are women
and children.
More than 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, many of
whom had to cross the Nile River on their way to Uganda, leaving
everything they had behind and risking their lives.


27 Background

Purpose of the committee:
To Security Council this is an important conflict that has to be discussed and
managed; South Sudan was supposed to break the sad, familiar African
model of petty rivalries, corruption and oppression. But as a conflict
provoked by ethnic and personal power struggles tears the country apart,
INTERNAL FACTORS EXTERNAL FACTORS
Sudan Peoples Liberation Army
(SPLA) took power in the new
country, which for civil opinion was a
militarised, autocratic and corrupt
administration.

Since South Sudan is one of the
youngest nations to be born, the
pressure that others nations had put
on it is overwhelming.
Disagreement between the Sudan
Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA),
and the Sudan Peoples Liberation
Movement (SPLM).
Most of the rebels where motivated
by the revolutionary wave of
demonstrations and protests (both
non-violent and violent), riots, and
civil wars in the Arab world years
before.
Peoples beliefs that the
government under the rule of Salva
Kiir is rapidly turning into a
dictatorship with absolute power.
Several foreign countries are in
concordance with the (SPLA)
position and objective on the
conflict.
On the basis of party rules, elections
should be held every five years, but
have been delayed since April 2010.
Causing the rebels anger.


28 Background

speech and argument has been unable to pull South Sudan from the brink
of civil war.
International mediation is the only answer. A diplomatic effort to settle this
conflict has already been launched by the UN.

29 Background

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.oxfam.org
www.telesurtv.net
www.un.org
www.english.dohainstitute.org
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.bbc.com
www.en.wikipedia.org
www.enoughproject.org
http://www.eldiario.es/desalambre/sudan-sur-independencia-fronteras-
petroleo_0_215578948.html

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