UNAMID to withdraw from two sites in West Darfur in November
September 22, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) would hand over Morny and Mistry sites to West Darfur government next November, said West Darfur minister of urban planning Faisal Hassan Haroun
The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) quoted Haroun as saying UNAMID would evacuate Morny site in the locality of Krinding and Mistry site in the locality of Baida in November while the Mission’s main site in El-Geniena would be evacuated next year.
He pointed out that West Darfur government is developing alternatives for the future use of the sites, saying the governor has conducted a field visit to the sites to see how it can be used for civilian purposes.
Last year, the UN Security Council decided to reduce the UNAMID, admitting that the security situation has improved in the Darfur region.
The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in western Sudan’s region.
It is the world’s second-largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.
UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million are displaced.
(ST)