First batch of UN advisers arrives tomorrow to Darfur – official
Dec 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan announced that the first batch of the United Nations troops in support of the African Union would arrive tomorrow to Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.
Twenty policemen and eighteen military advisers from Africa and Asia will arrive Thursday to the capital of North Darfur Al-Fasher. This group constitutes the vanguard of first batch of the assistance package provided by the UN to the African Mission in Sudan.
In a letter sent to the UN Secretary General, president al-Bashir confirmed Sudan’s agreement to the implementation of the Light and Heavy Support Packages of assistance to the AU. Details of the implementation of these will be formalized through the Tripartite Mechanism, the next meeting of which is scheduled for 10 January.
Ambassador Sadeq Al Magli, the Director of the Peace Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that this batch will leave from Khartoum. He reaffirmed that preparations by the government have been completed in Khartoum and in Al Fashir to facilitate the arrival of the package of technical and consultancy assistance to Darfur to be placed under the command of the African Union in Darfur.
The ambassador said dispatching more groups as agreed upon within the first package of assistance will continue during the coming days.
A total of 38 UN military and police advisers will be on the ground in Darfur before the end of the year. Nine are already in Al-Fasher. The remaining military advisers (a total of 105 under the first phase) and police advisers (a total of 33) and 48 civilians will deploy during January.
Ambassador Magli reaffirmed the full cooperation of the government to implement this first phase of the package expressing hope that the United Nations would give priority to what has been agreed upon during the Addis Ababa and Abuja meetings and to boost the ceasefire between the parties.
From a legal perspective, the current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which regulates the relationship between the UN Mission in Sudan and the Government of Sudan, will be extended to cover UN staff in Darfur providing support to AMIS, as well as to the eventual hybrid force.
As well as personnel support to AMIS, the first phase of the US$ 21 million assistance package from UNMIS, will also include equipment, such as vehicles, computers and communications equipment.
(ST)