UNAMID begins evacuation of staff, as Chinese arrive

July 15, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – While the last batch of Chinese peacekeepers will arrive tomorrow to Darfur, The U.N. started today to withdraw from the troubled province staff amid fears of reprisals after the International Criminal Court moved to charge Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The last batch of the 400 Chinese peacekeepers is expected to arrive on Wednesday to Darfur. The 172 peacekeepers will participate in the construction of the necessary infrastructures to deploy the rest of the 26000 strong hybrid force.

Sudan news agency hailed the move saying they arrive while some countries begin to pull out their troops from the region fearing reprisals after the accusations leveled against the Sudanese president by the ICC prosecutor.

The African Union-U.N. peacekeeping mission yesterday said it would fly out nonessential staff to Ethiopia and Uganda, despite assurances from Sudan that it would protect peacekeepers and humanitarian workers.

UNAMID staff left headquarters in El Fasher en route to the local airport, where the first batch was due to fly to Entebbe in Uganda.

“It’s not an evacuation. We’re temporarily relocating staff, some nonessential staff,” said Josephine Guerrero, spokeswoman in Darfur for the U.N.-led peacekeeping mission.

“UNAMID is not pulling out. All the forces are going to be on the ground and humanitarian operations are continuing,” she added, referring to the U.N.-African Union military and police force, only a third of which has deployed.

Officials in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, said about 200 staff would be flown out Tuesday and that further “relocations” would depend on security assessments.

(ST)