UN Security Council extends Darfur peacekeepers for another year
July 30, 2009 (UNITED NATIONS) — The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously agreed to extend the mandate of the UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
The 15-member Council unanimously voted a resolution to renew the mandate of the hybrid mission for one year to protect civilians and ensure aid workers have unhindered access to needy in the war ravaged region.
It also demanded that parties to the conflict in the western Sudanese province immediately put an end to the violence, including attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel.
The Resolution 1881follows a request earlier this month to renew the mission from the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who warned in his latest report on the UNAMID work that numerous challenges remain in Darfur, despite the decrease in large-scale conflict.
In order to measure UNAMID’s progress, the Council further requested the UN Secretary General to elaborate a workplan with benchmarks. It further asked for reports every 90 days on the progress made towards implementing UNAMID’s mandate, as well as on the progress on the political, security and humanitarian fronts.
The hybrid mission, after significant delay in troops deployment during its first year (2008) has now on the ground 13491 military personel,1845 police,1115 Formed Police Units,1109 international staff from more than 100 countries, 2255 national staff and 335 UN Volunteers.
Ban Ki-Moon in his last report released earlier this month said that UNAMID plans to have more than 95% the authorized 26,000 deployed on the ground.
Last year the African Union, Arab League and other organizations had urged the Security Council before to renew the UNAMID mandate to defer the indictment of the Sudanese President by the International Criminal Court. Following the arrest warrant of March this year they renewed their call for the suspension of the ICC jurisdiction on Darfur.
However, the British U.N. Ambassador John Sawers who presented the draft resolution to the Council told reporters that the African Union did not formally proposed the ICC deferral since. He further stressed “There is no consensus on the council about Article 16.”
The Council reaffirmed its full support for the African Union-United Nations-led political process for Darfur and the work of Joint Chief Mediator Djibrill Yipènè Bassolé.
The African Union Peace and Security Council renewed the UNAMID mandate for 12 months, beginning July 31, and asked that the UN do the same on July 21.
.
(ST)