Sudan proposes to resume discussions on UNAMID exit strategy

January 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has proposed to resume discussions on the exit strategy for the African Union United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).by the end of this month in Addis Ababa.

Foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Thursday met with the newly appointed UNAMID chief Martin Uhomoibhi who started a series of meeting with the Sudanese officials to introduce himself.

Ghandour has proposed to hold a meeting on the margins of the African Union summit for the tripartite committee on 29 or 30 January in Addis Ababa to discuss the UNAMID’s exit strategy, said the foreign ministry spokesperson Ali al-Sadiq, on Thursday after the meeting.

Sadiq further said the minister stressed on the need to reach a agreement on the exit of the joint force in line with the 2008 agreement signed between Sudan and the UNMAID.

He further said a tripartite technical committee would visit Darfur to assess humanitarian and security situations and decide from which areas the UNAMID will first withdraw its peacekeepers.

Following a meeting between Ghandour and the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in New York last October, Sudanese foreign ministry announced that the discussions on the UNAMID exit strategy will resume in November in Khartoum.

In a report on 26 May 2015, Ban told the UN Security Council that UNAMID could only withdraw gradually from West Darfur, and leave from three bases in North and South Darfur, in areas that do not currently necessitate its presence.

He linked the full withdrawal from the region with signing of a ceasefire agreement within a peace agreement where the protection of civilians can be ensured.

But Khartoum claims the rebel groups have no longer any presence in the region and points to its efforts to end tribal violence in the region.

The newly appointed joint representative, will continue his meeting in Khartoum with the Sudanese government officials. It is not clear if he would be received by President Omer al-Bashir.

(ST)