AU extends Unamid mandate in Darfur

In its 446th meeting on 9 July 2014, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC) decided to extend the mandate of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (Unamid) for a further period of 12 months, requesting the UN Security Council to do the same. The AUPSC reiterated its appreciation to the Unamid leadership and personnel “for their dedication and contribution to the promotion of peace, security, stability and reconciliation in the Darfur region of Sudan, and notes with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of Unamid’s mandate, including with respect to the protection of civilians”, according to the AUPSC Communiqué on the meeting, released today. In the Communiqué, the AUPSC strongly condemns all attacks against Unamid personnel and assets, and humanitarian organisations and their staff. It urges the Sudanese government to “spare no efforts in identifying the authors of these criminal acts and bringing them to justice”. DDPD The 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) is a “viable framework for bringing lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur”, according to the Council. The AUPSC welcomed “the progress made in the implementation of the DDPD, as illustrated by the steps recently taken towards the implementation of its security provisions, the launching, on 22 June 2014, of the Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Committees, that are expected to work with the native administration to address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur, and the inauguration, on 26 May 2014, in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, of the Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultation (DIDC) Implementation Committee”. The Council called on the holdout armed movements to join the peace process on the basis of the DDPD, saying it looks forward to the holding of the envisaged meeting, in Addis Ababa, between the Sudanese government and the armed movements, “as part of the process of confidence-building and ensuring inclusivity of all parties for national reconciliation”. At the same time, the Council stressed the need to address the Darfur crisis as part of a holistic approach to the challenges of peace, governance and democracy in Sudan. It considers the national initiative for dialogue, announced by President Omar Al Bashir on 27 January this year “a unique opportunity” to advance peace and reconciliation in Sudan, and reiterated its call to all parties to create a conducive environment for the success of the initiative.  Violence The prevailing humanitarian situation in Darfur, including the increase in the number of displaced, is cause of concern for the AUPSC. In this regard, the Council encourages the Sudanese government to “engage more with humanitarian aid agencies with a view to facilitating their work in the communities affected”. Another cause of “deep concern” are “the continued human rights violations in Darfur, including the increase in sexual and gender-based violence”. The Council called on the Sudanese government “to take appropriate measures to address this situation, notably by identifying their perpetrators and bringing them to justice”. The Council also pointed to the “renewed fighting between ethnic groups over resources”, and commended Unamid for “the initiatives taken to prevent inter-ethnic and inter-communal conflicts and facilitate their resolution when they occur”. Unamid On 17 June, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, presented the UN Security Council (UNSC) with the ICC’s latest report on the situation in Darfur. In a concomitant statement, she pointed to allegations that Unamid “had been subject to manipulation, with the intentional effect of covering up crimes committed against civilians and peacekeepers, in particular those committed by the Government of Sudan”, and called for “a thorough, independent and public enquiry”. Newly displaced The cumulative number of people, who have been displaced in Darfur since the beginning of 2014, stands at 397,057, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan stated in its Humanitarian Needs and Aid Delivery Fact Sheet of 15 July 2014. “A new wave of insecurity and violence across Darfur that started early 2014, has generated enormous additional humanitarian needs. Fighting, tensions and insecurity involved government forces, supported by the Rapid Support Forces, a government-affiliated militia, as well as armed movements, and armed tribal militia.” As of 15 July 2014, the net number of people who remain displaced in Darfur by recent violence stands at 265,760, OCHA reported. Some 131,300 people have returned to their areas of origin. The number of the newly displaced is in addition to some two million people in Darfur who were forced to flee their homes since 2003-2005, the height of the conflict. According to a survey conducted by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) from December 2013 to April 2014, there are currently 2,308,992 people displaced in Darfur, “among them 82,530 orphans, 34,099 widows, and 52,352 infirm and elderly”. File photo: Unamid team site in Zalingei, Central Darfur (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related:More than 2.3 million displaced in Darfur’: DRA survey (14 July 2014) ‘Militias, banditry source of major concern in Darfur’: Unamid head (14 July 2014)ICC demands investigation of Unamid in Darfur (18 June 2014)