High level meeting held in Khartoum on UNAMID deployment

September 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Tripartite Mechanism formed jointly by the African Union, United Nations and Government of Sudan held its fourth meeting in Khartoum to discuss deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

UNAMID was mandated by Security Council resolution 1769, in order to enforce a peace deal the government signed in 2006 with one rebel group. The hybrid operation replaced an earlier, smaller African Union mission that had operated at some level since 2004.

At the meeting, Sudan renewed “its full commitment to its obligations stipulated in the status of forces agreement regarding the protection of UNAMID personnel and facilities,” according to a press statement from the peacekeeping mission.

The meeting follows a number of recent attacks on peacekeepers in the capitals of North and South Darfur.

“The meeting focused on issues relating to UNAMID deployment that require further attention and follow-up, and also reviewed the current political and security developments in Darfur,” stated UNAMID.

The Sudanese delegation was headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mutrif Siddiq; the AU delegation was headed by Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra; the UN delegation was headed by Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana Malcorra; the UNAMID delegation was headed by Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada.

Following the meeting, the AU, UN and UNAMID representatives met with Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie.

The next Tripartite Mechanism meeting will take place in El Fasher, North Darfur, at the end of March. The meeting follows a number of recent attacks on peacekeepers in the capitals of North and South Darfur.

(ST)