UN-AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN DARFUR MARKS ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

UN-AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN DARFUR MARKS ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
New York, Dec 31 2008 1:10PM
The joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission, tasked with protecting civilians in war-ravaged Darfur and quelling the violence in the Sudanese region, commemorated its first anniversary in operation today.

The hybrid force, known as UNAMID, was set up by the Security Council last year to protect civilians on the western flank of Sudan, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

One year on from transferring the task of suppressing the violence to <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID from the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), fewer than 12,500 uniformed personnel are in place across Darfur, far short of the 26,000 blue helmets authorized by the Security Council.

The mission has also only filled 3,000 posts, which is under half of the civilian staff it requires to be at full capacity.

Earlier this month, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in his latest report on UNAMID that violence "and displacement continue, humanitarian operations are at risk, clashes between the parties occur with regrettable regularity and the parties have not reached a negotiated peace agreement."

The mission's website today noted that "while an all-inclusive peace agreement has yet to be achieved, UNAMID's dedicated work has facilitated humanitarian relief, local conflict resolution, and security so as to establish and strengthen conditions that can enable the people of Sudan to resolve this tragic conflict."

It also acknowledged the efforts of its predecessors, saying "former AMIS soldiers, police officers, together with their civilian colleagues serving in UNAMID, have worked tirelessly under difficult and often dangerous circumstances to sustain a presence throughout Darfur."

On behalf of the AU-UN Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada, his deputy, Henry Anyidoho, reaffirmed UNAMID's commitment to its mandate and the determination of its soldiers, police officers, and civilian members to build on initial achievements.
Dec 31 2008 1:10PM
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