Sudan relations with UNAMID reaches low point

August 2, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nations spokesperson said today that the restrictions recently announced by the Sudanese government on the movement of personnel from the African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) violates previous accords signed between both sides.

Last week, a senior Sudanese official told Reuters that UNAMID travel would be monitored going forward and that their bags will be searched. They will have to inform the government before moving on roads even within South Darfur’s capital Nyala, he said.

But the U.N. spokesperson Martin Nesirky said that the measures if implemented would amount to a breach of the Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) signed between Khartoum and the world body in February 2008.

“We’re working with the local authorities in South Darfur to ensure that the conditions are in place for the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate” Nesirky said at the daily briefing on Monday.

The move by Khartoum come in response to violent clashes that took place in a number of IDP camps in Darfur.

Last week, five people were reported killed at the Kalma camp and three in Zalingi camp in West Darfur in fighting reportedly between those loyal to Al-Nur and others who are supporters of the peace process currently underway in Doha between Khartoum and a rebel umbrella, Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).

SLM-Nur claimed that the government manipulated a handful of people in the camps to fly to Doha as IDP representatives and then enter the camp along with weapons and ammunitions sparking the clashes.

Al-Nur warned on Sunday that there would be “repercussions” should government forces attempt to enter the camp to arrest those it believed to be behind the clashes.

Today, the Sudanese presidential adviser, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani said that Khartoum stands with the demand made by the South Darfur state to UNAMID for it to hand over those accused of attacking the Kalma IDP camp.

Al-Attabani said that the government’s support to the demand was based on its constitutional duty to protect its citizens and the resolution that established UNAMID which stipulated the right of the government to practice its jurisdiction on all the country’s territories in accordance with the rules of the international law

He further said that the trial of the accused in these incidents affirm the principles of combating impunity which is incorporated in all the resolutions on Darfur and revealed that the topic will be discussed with the UNAMID which was already been officially notified on the request.

On Sunday, the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir was quoted by state news agency (SUNA) as instructing to bring those involved in the clashes to justice. The remarks came during his meeting with interior minister Ibrahim Mahmood who accused SLM-Nur of staging the attacks.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) extended the mandate of UNAMID last Friday, but said that the latter should focus on its security role with some Western diplomats saying that they are unhappy with the mission straying into reconstruction projects or seeking a direct role in attempts to negotiate a political settlement.

Separately, it was announced that four UNAMID peacekeepers from Sierra Leone were killed in a road in South Darfur capital of Nyala.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that the accident occurred while the deceased were accompanying UNAMID deputy Representative for Operations and Management who visited Nyala on Sunday.

“The Secretary-General would like to take this opportunity to commend all of the men and women serving in UNAMID in military, police and civilian capacities, for their efforts to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and bring peace to Darfur,” Ban’s spokesperson told reporters.

(ST)