Sudan releases 52 UNAMID containers: spokesperson

October 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese authorities have released 52 containers belonging to the African Union United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) while others are under clearance process, said the UN spokesperson in New York on Wednesday.

On 14 October United Nations peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous told the Security Council that some 190 containers, largely food rations, are blocked in Port Sudan and urged the Sudanese government to release it immediately.

But the foreign ministry in Khartoum denied the claim, and accused the joint mission of causing the slow in the containers clearance process and not providing its details at time. However, it announced that the containers will be released soon.

In a short statement issued on Wednesday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, announced UNAMID informed the UN peacekeeping department about the release of 52 containers that are presently being loaded and moved by the Contractor to Khartoum from Port Sudan.

“A further 91 containers are currently being processed while the remaining 60 are at different stages of the clearance process,” Dujarric added.

The short crisis over the clearance of containers is another illustration of the unhealthy relations between the Sudanese authorities and the UNAMID.

The Sudanese government, the African Union and UN are expected to resume talks on the UNAMID exit strategy that Khartoum demands since nearly two years.

(ST)