African Union calls for observing initial mandate of Darfur peacekeeping force
August 25, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) — The African Union urged the UN Security Council to respect the initial mandate of the Darfur hybrid peacekeeping force (UNAMID) as it is defined in 2007, supporting Sudan’s opposition to extend the attribution of the AU-UN peacekeeping operation.
The 15 member council on 29 July voted the extension of the UNAMID for one more year asking the largest peacekeeping operation to coordinate its activities with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The Council cited the deteriorating security conditions and the displacement of civilians as result of the attacks carried by the government forces in different areas in Darfur. It further declined to support the Darfur Political Process (DPP) as suggested by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki, despite a request of the African Union.
Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti strongly rejected the UN Security Council resolution and threatened that Khartoum might cancel the mandate of the UNAMID if the latter try to implement issues not agreed in the initial mandate.
In a statement released on 23 August, the Commission of the African Union stressed the “need for due consideration to be given to the position of the AU on the situation in Darfur”.
The African organ further called to “demonstrate continued commitment to the hybrid AU?UN nature of UNAMID and to the implementation of its well established mandate, as provided for in communiqué PSC/PR/Comm(LXXIX) of the 79th meeting of the PSC, held on 22 June 2007”.
Regarding the Darfur based political process of the AU high level panel, the Commission recalled its appeal to support the DPP “without making its launching contingent upon the fulfillment of preconditions that have the potential to provide room for spoilers to undermine the quest for peace, defeat the principle of ownership by the Sudanese stakeholders”.
On 29 July South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon envoys at the UNSC regretted that the Security Council did not decide to launch the Darfur-based Political Process as requested by the African Union. But, the US and UK ambassadors said the Council will consider to launch this process whenever the conditions are improved.
The Security Council says it is crucial for such process to remove the state of emergency and reestablish the freedom of expression and other rights limited currently in Darfur.
This week the Cease Fire Commission, which is established in accordance to a peace agreement signed on 14 July in Doha by the Sudanese government and the former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), held its first meeting in El-Fasher with the participation of the two parties, Qatar and the UNAMID.
A LJM delegation is expected to arrive in Khartoum during the upcoming days to prepare for the arrival of its leader El-Tijani El-Sissi to the Sudanese capital next month, announcing the launch of the implementation of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
The Justice and Equality Movement which is part of the Doha process refused to sign the DDPD asking to open it for more discussions but Khartoum rejected the demand of the rebel group giving them three months to join it.
(ST)