Central Darfur governor calls to close UNAMID site in Mukjar
April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – South Darfur Governor Tuesday urged an assessment team of the African Union and United Nations to consider the closure of a UNAMID site in Mukjar area.
Governor Jaafar Abdel-Hakam expressed his demand in a speech before a joint meeting between Central Darfur Security Committee and the African Union-United Nations Strategic Review Team which visits the state to assess the mandate of the hybrid peacekeeping operation.
“If the criteria for the closure of UNAMID team sites is the effectiveness of civilians’ protection and stability in the concerned areas, Mukjar comes at the forefront where there is a great security and stability,” Abdel-Hakam said.
He further said the state is witnessing a stability as a result of the government’s decision to collect weapons, adding the security situation encouraged a large number of displaced persons to return to their areas of origin and now participate the production cycle, as he said.
“They are no longer in need of relief as much as they need services and development,” he stressed before to call on the UN, African Union and humanitarian groups to support the Voluntary Return Program through the funding of development and services projects.
On Monday, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, announced the imminent closure of a camp for Chadian refugees in Mukjar after the departure on Friday 6 April 2018 of 500 Chadian refugees representing the last batch of nearly 4,000 refugees settled in the area since 2006.
However, In the past Mukjar witnessed tribal clashes between the Misseriya and Salamat tribes. In October 2016, UNAMID organised a dialogue meeting to promote the culture of peace and reconciliation among the local communities.
The UN and the African Union excluded Central Darfur State from the first and second phase of a plan to reduce the number of troops to be finalized by June 2018, due to the existence of rebels in the mountainous areas.
Instead, it decided to establish a new base in Golo to boost the protection of civilians in Central Darfur and to be prepared for probable displacement as a result of new military operations in the state.
(ST)