UN Country Team, Unamid deplore attacks on properties in South Darfur

On Wednesday 19 June, a group of protestors invaded the offices of World Vision International in Gireida and destroyed several properties. The protestors also ransacked the office of World Food Programme (WFP) in the town, where an unspecified amount of money was stolen and four vehicles were vandalised. 

In a joint statement on Friday, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (Unamid) and the UN Country Team in Sudan express their concern about the attacks, and  call on the Sudanese authorities “to take immediate corrective action to bring perpetrators of these incidents to book”.

Unamid Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator, Jeremiah Mamabolo, decried “the limited support, if any, accorded to UN entities in the face of such dangerous attacks that inevitably place the lives of its staff and local citizenry at risk in Sudan.

“This looting incident in Gireida comes just a few weeks after a similar intrusion took place in El Geneina, West Darfur. Such wanton destruction of UN property and assets cannot continue with impunity,” JSR Mamabolo said.

Gwi-Yeop Son, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, reacted by saying that “This behaviour is totally unacceptable, especially the looting and destruction of humanitarian property causing serious disruption to the work of humanitarians providing lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable people of Gereida. These actions constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

The UN further reminds the Sudanese government that the country, as a member of the United Nations, is obliged to protect UN and other international staff operating in their country, including the organisation’s assets. “It is the responsibility of the Government of Sudan to be accountable and to protect all UN staff operating within Sudanese borders.”

The situation is now under control and evacuated UN staff has safely arrived in Nyala, South Darfur.

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