African Union calls for observing initial mandate of Darfur peacekeeping force
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August 25, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) — The African Union urged the UN
Security Council to respect the initial mandate of the Darfur hybrid
peacekeeping force (UNAMID) as it is defined in 2007, supporting
Sudan’s opposition to extend the attribution of the AU-UN peacekeeping
operation.
JPEG - 77.4 kb
AU troops perform a ceremony marking the transfer of peacekeeping
authority from the AU Mission to the UNAMID a headquarters in El
Fasher, Sudan, Dec 31, 2007 (UNAMID)
The African body also reiterated in a statement published this week
its commitment to hold a process for political dialogue in Darfur
despite the lack of interest of the UN body for this initiative under
the current security and political conditions in the restive region.
The 15 member council on 29 July voted the extension of the UNAMID for
one more year asking the largest peacekeeping operation to coordinate
its activities with the United Nations Interim Security Force for
Abyei (UNISFA) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The Council cited the deteriorating security conditions and the
displacement of civilians as result of the attacks carried by the
government forces in different areas in Darfur. It further declined to
support the Darfur Political Process (DPP) as suggested by the former
South African President Thabo Mbeki, despite a request of the African
Union.
Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti strongly rejected the UN Security
Council resolution and threatened that Khartoum might cancel the
mandate of the UNAMID if the latter try to implement issues not agreed
in the initial mandate.
In a statement released on 23 August, the Commission of the African
Union stressed on the “need for due consideration to be given to the
position of the AU on the situation in Darfur".
The African organ further called to "demonstrate continued commitment
to the hybrid AU?UN nature of UNAMID and to the implementation of its
well established mandate, as provided for in communiqué
PSC/PR/Comm(LXXIX) of the 79th meeting of the PSC, held on 22 June
2007".
Regarding the Darfur based political process of the AU high level
panel, the Commission recalled its appeal to support the DPP "without
making its launching contingent upon the fulfillment of preconditions
that have the potential to provide room for spoilers to undermine the
quest for peace, defeat the principle of ownership by the Sudanese
stakeholders".
On 29 July South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon envoys at the UNSC
regretted that the Security Council did not decide to launch the
Darfur-based Political Process as requested by the African Union. But,
the US and UK ambassadors said the Council will consider to launch
this process whenever the conditions are improved.
The Security Council says it is crucial for such process to remove the
state of emergency and reestablish the freedom of expression and other
rights limited currently in Darfur.
This week the Cease Fire Commission, which is established in
accordance to a peace agreement signed on 14 July in Doha by the
Sudanese government and the former rebel Liberation and Justice
Movement (LJM), held its first meeting in El-Fasher with the
participation of the two parties, Qatar and the UNAMID.
A LJM delegation is expected to arrive in Khartoum during the upcoming
days to prepare for the arrival of its leader El-Tijani El-Sissi to
the Sudanese capital next month, announcing the launch of the
implementation of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
The Justice and Equality Movement which is part of the Doha process
refused to sign the DDPD asking to open it for more discussions but
Khartoum rejected the demand of the rebel group giving them three
months to join it.
(ST)
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