N. Darfur governor criticises UNAMID delay of stabilisation plan
April 20, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Governor of North Darfur, Abdel-Wahid Youssef, has criticized the slow pace of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in implementing the stabilisation plan in his state, said the official news agency SUNA
On Thursday, Youssef met with the UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Sunday, Aristide Nononsi, in North Darfur capital, El-Fasher.
During the meeting, the governor called for a changing the Mission’s mandate in order to make use of its capabilities during the post-conflict period.
He called on the UNAMID to support the implementation of development and infrastructure projects as well as building peace and stability.
Youssef also briefed the UN expert on his government’s stabilisation plan to provide the services for IDP’s who returned to their original villages, pointing to the presence of police and judicial organs across the state to enforce the law and justice.
He pointed out that 247,000 IDP’s are currently present in North Darfur, saying 57,000 of them have returned to their original villages.
For his part, the UN expert expressed his support for the stabilization plan presented by the North Darfur government to the UNAMID, urging the UN and international organizations to implement the plan during the next period.
It is noteworthy that the UN expert has arrived in Khartoum on Sudan in a 10-day visit to assess the human rights situation in the country.
In June 2017, the UN Security Council extended the UNAMID mandate for another year and redefined its mandate to play a double role.
In Jebel Marra, the force has to continue to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of emergency relief. In the other areas of Darfur, the mission has to focus on stabilising the situation.
Also, Last June, the African Union and the United Nations decided to draw down the UNAMID by withdrawing the military personnel by 44% and that of the police component by 30%, the closure of 11 team sites in the first phase and the withdrawal of the military component from another seven team sites in the second phase.
UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, and over 2.5 million were displaced.
The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in western Sudan’s region.
It is the world’s second-largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.
(ST)