AUPSC concludes assessment trip to Darfur in displaced camp

A delegation of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) completed its two day assessment visit to Darfur in a displaced camp on Tuesday, UNAMID announced in a press statement. The mission of the 24 members of the AUPSC, led by Ambassador Bulus Paul Zom Lolo of Nigeria, had previously been to Khartoum, El Fasher and Nyala, as Radio Dabanga reported.At the Otash displaced camp in South Darfur, community leaders expressed to the delegation their wish for peace and their desire to return to their places of origin, according to UNAMID. Ambassador Lolo “assured them of the AU’s commitment while urging traditional leaders to lead the peace efforts and to continue to serve as role models to youth in the camps”.He noted that the tour of the camp allowed the AUPSC “the opportunity to reflect and see the challenges that need to be addressed with their own eyes”, part of the press statement reads.The aim of the AUPSC’s visit to Sudan and Darfur was for its members to gain a first-hand assessment of the situation in Darfur. This assessment was carried out largely through direct engagement with stakeholders at all levels, including the Government, Sudanese civilians and the international community working in Darfur.Humanitarian aid, civilian protection and criminal elements were among the central issues raised by the delegation, UNAMID says.Radio Dabanga file photoRelated: AU official in Sudan: commitment to achieving peace in Darfur (21 March 2013)