Russia, China abstains from continuous UN Security Council missions in South Sudan

The Russian Federation and the Republic of China have abstained from the US-proposed Security Council mission to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Despite the UN’s mandate, Russia and China made their positions known during the United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, with both parties’ votes of abstention in maintaining the political, security and humanitarian challenges in African countries.

In a vote of thirteen in favour with two against (Russia and China), the UN adopted a resolution tagged 2927 (2024) and acted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. The Council then decided that UNMISS should advance a multiyear strategic vision until April 30, 2025.

According to the UNSC,

It will maintain the Mission’s troop ceiling of 17,000 personnel and a police ceiling of 2,101 personnel, including 88 justice and corrections advisors.

It also expressed its readiness to consider adjustments to UNMISS force levels and capacity-building tasks based on security conditions on the ground.

Russia’s representative, Ms. Anna Evstigneeva, said that her delegation also abstained from voting as Moscow disagreed with several United States proposals to broaden the already complicated UNMISS mandate.

Similarly, China’s representative, noting his country’s abstention, said that the draft puts “undue pressure” on the Government of South Sudan and accuses it of some electoral issues.

The repeated push by the penholder to give UNMISS an offensive mandate will not only put peacekeepers at risk but also ultimately jeopardise the Mission’s cooperation with South Sudan, he asserted, stressing that penholdership is not a privilege but a responsibility.

On the other hand, Russia has since released a statement explaining in full detail its reasons for voting to abstain from furthering the UN mission in South Sudan.

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