Hybrid force ‘may be’ operational in Darfur early 2008
October 31, 2007 (EL-FASHER) — A bolstered United Nations-African Union force charged with bringing peace to Sudan’s ravaged Darfur region may be operational by early next year, the head of the mission said Wednesday.
The headquarters opened three months to the day after the UN Security Council on July 31 approved the new force of over 26,000 troops and police, baptised UNAMID, to replace the current under-equipped AU deployment of 7,000.
“This is a great day for UNAMID,” Adada told journalists. “Three months ago when the Security Council voted Resolution 1769 it was an idea and today we are a reality. Now we can begin the real work.”
“We may be operational in the beginning of the next year,” he said.
The United Nations said earlier this month it had agreed with the African Union to accept troop contingents from 16 countries, mostly from Africa but also from Bangladesh, Jordan, Nepal, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries and Thailand.
Some troops have arrived already, but have been initially integrated into the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) while UNAMID is being set up.
The full force is not expected to be deployed until well into 2008.
“We are a step further toward the handover from AMIS to UNAMID,” he said, adding that “This is the beginning of UNAMID.”
“We are waiting for approval from the Sudanese government for infantry troops from two or three non-African countries,” he said, repeating a UN appeal made earlier this month for more aircraft to patrol an area the size of France.
Asked about ongoing peace talks in the Libyan city of Sirte, attended by some rebels and Khartoum but boycotted by the most representative rebel factions, the Congolese politician said “we need peace between Sudanese.”
“There are two faces of the Darfur problem — establishing of UNAMID and the political issue. We need peace between Sudanese because it will be the basis of our work.”
Bush said on Tuesday that he had discussed the conflict with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and urged him to “get moving those troops into the Darfur region as quickly as possible.”
The US president also stressed that “it’s important to continue putting the pressure on the respective parties to come up with an agreement that will help end the genocide” in Darfur.
Conflict and famine in Darfur have left at least 200,000 people dead and two million displaced, according to international organisations, since Khartoum enlisted Janjaweed Arab militia allies to put down an ethnic minority revolt in 2003.
Khartoum puts the death toll much lower.
(AFP)
Below the text of a press statement by Rodolphe Adada, the UN-AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur (UNAMID) on the First Day of the Mission in its El Fasher Headquarters
El Fasher 31 October 2007
It is a great day for the United Nations and the African Union, the day of UNAMID’s launch, which was only an idea three months ago but now it is a profound reality.
Only three months ago, precisely on 31 July 2007, the Security Council adopted its Resolution 1769 in which it decided to establish an AU-UN Hybrid operation in Darfur, incorporating AMIS personnel and the UN Heavy and Light Support Packages to AMIS.
Pursuant to the same resolution, the UN-AU Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, has established the required initial operational capability for this headquarters including, as you have seen, the necessary management and command control structures, through which operational directives will be implemented.
The UN-AU Joint Special Representative and his Deputy, the Force Commander of UNAMID and his Deputy, and other senior UNAMID officials are already deployed to facilitate the transfer of authority from AMIS to UNAMID by 31 December this year.
Today, UNAMID marks its first day in its Al Fasher Head Quarters, completing preparations to assume operational command authority as requested by the Security Council.
We have already completed the pre-handover preparations involving deployment and movement of command elements and key staff to their designated offices, spaces and installations throughout Darfur.
We have just used the communications systems, offices, and equipment that have been put in place to enable UNAMID staff assume their responsibilities and tasks.
The UN and AU are currently conducting pre-deployment visits to some of the troops contributing countries to inspect the troops and their equipment.
We are also facing a lack of pledges for specialized units in areas such as aviation and land transport that should be arriving in Darfur as part of the heavy support package to AMIS.
Today, however, I am pleased to say that with the cooperation of the Government of Sudan, we are one more step closer to embark on our peace keeping mandate for the people of Darfur. We also express our appreciation to the Wali of North Darfur for providing UNAMID with the land needed to establish this headquarters.
I have all the confidence that the remaining steps towards the final assumption of authority by UNAMID will be concluded before the end of this year so that we can start implementing our mandate in 2008 in full gear.