MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in South Sudan
13.1.2014 - (2014/2512(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Ryszard Czarnecki on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0018/2014
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on South Sudan,
– having regard to the statements of 24 December 2013 and 2 January 2014 by the Spokesperson of the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in South Sudan,
– having regard to the statement of 24 December 2014 by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urging the South Sudan leadership to curb the alarming violence against civilians,
– having regard to the UN Secretary-General’s statement of 18 December 2013,
– having regard to the OCHA Situation Report as of 7 January 2014 – Report No 8 on the crisis in South Sudan,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
– having regard to the revised Cotonou Agreement,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, after years of civil war with the North and following a referendum in January 2011, the Republic of South Sudan separated to become an independent nation-state on 9 July 2011;
B. whereas South Sudan is the world’s newest nation, in the centre of Africa and bordered by six countries, and is rich in oil, but following decades of civil war is also one of the least developed regions;
C. whereas since independence South Sudan has been racked by intense intercommunal fighting in Jonglei state, with ongoing conflicts along the shared border with Sudan;
D. whereas the Government of South Sudan has taken steps to develop its legal and institutional structures but has yet to ratify major human rights treaties;
E. whereas signs of friction within the governing SPLM party came when President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka (the country’s largest group), blamed soldiers loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar for organising an attempted coup, which Mr Machar denies;
F. whereas clashes began on 15 December 2013 in the capital Juba and within days spread to several other places across the country;
G. whereas more than 1 000 people are believed to have died in clashes in South Sudan;
H. whereas despite reports on 18 December 2013 of improved security, the safety of civilians remains a concern, and whereas large-scale extrajudicial killings, the targeting of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity and arbitrary detentions have been documented;
I. whereas an estimated 200 000 people have been internally displaced by the current crisis in South Sudan since 15 December 2013, with some 60 000 people in UN bases across the country;
1. Notes that both Sudan and South Sudan are reliant on oil revenue, which accounts for 98 % of South Sudan’s budget, with both sides disagreeing over how to equitably divide the oil wealth of the former united state;
2. Highlights the fact that media reports on 10 January 2014 indicated that South Sudan’s army claimed to have regained Bentiu from rebel forces, wresting back control of an oil-rich region where production had been halted by fighting since early January;
3. Underlines the fact that, following East African mediation efforts, the two sides have met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for ceasefire talks as the first step towards resolving the conflict;
4. Notes that humanitarian access has continued to be constrained by active hostilities;
5. Is concerned that access to food remains limited for people sheltering in UN bases around the country;
6. Stresses that violence and displacement have resulted in the loss of livelihood, particularly sources of food;
7. Expresses sadness at the fact that the optimism born out of the 2011 independence movement has been lost amid inter-ethnic fighting among South Sudan’s many diverse groups, which is preventing South Sudan from establishing lasting democratic structures which will benefit all its citizens;
8. Is extremely concerned that, unless the competing factions and interest groups manage to forge a genuine national identity which puts the national interest first, South Sudan’s future looks uncertain;
9. Expresses concern at widespread corruption within South Sudanese society, including regional and ethnic-based discrimination; is also concerned that such corruption harms the prospects of establishing a free and fair democracy, stability and economic growth;
10. Notes that a number of foreign aid agencies have already withdrawn from South Sudan and that those which remain are struggling to meet the needs of displaced civilians; notes also that these aid agencies are still unable to reach many areas where it is thought that tens of thousands of people may still be waiting for help or on the move in search of such help;
11. Welcomes the fact that the UN has released USD 15 million from its rapid response fund for immediate humanitarian operations in South Sudan; notes, however, that despite progress it could take up to eight weeks before the full 5 500-strong surge in UN peacekeepers and equipment is deployed on the ground;
12. Believes that the roots of this conflict are much deeper and that resolution can only come through immediate dialogue between the two sides and inclusive reconciliation;
13. Strongly believes that, while a political settlement among the fighting parties is crucial in the longer term, the immediate security situation remains critical, particularly for the thousands of internally displaced civilians who have sought the UN’s protection, and that this must also be addressed;
14. Calls for all the parties to permit immediate and unconditional humanitarian access to all in need, in particular to the tens of thousands of South Sudanese men, women, and children who are the real victims of this violence;
15. Calls on all regional powers to cooperate in seeking a peaceful, lasting political solution to the current conflict;
16. Calls on the political classes to set aside their own self-interests and govern for all the people of South Sudan;
17. Calls for an immediate ceasefire, for all violence directed at civilian populations to end, and for those responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses to be held accountable;
18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, Vice-President / High Representative Catherine Ashton, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the institutions of the African Union, the Government of Sudan, the President of Sudan, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Member States.