Sudan Hosts Tripartite Meeting on UNAMID Exit

Peacekeepers from the hybrid African Union-United Nations operation in Darfur (UNAMID) patrol the damaged and empty Labado village in South Darfur on 10 December 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

May 22, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - A tripartite committee including Sudan, African Union and United Nations will resume discussion over an exit strategy of Darfur joint peacekeeping operation (UNAMID) in the Sudanese capital on Monday

Sudanese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Ali Sadiq said in a statement released on Sunday that the meeting will discuss the UNAMID’s exit strategy and endorse a report prepared by the tripartite work team which has just ended a visit to Darfur region a few days ago.

Kassim Wan from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Mahmoud Kan, head of the African Union office in Khartoum will head the delegations of the international and regional bodies to this meeting.

Ambassador al-Sadiq further said the one-day meeting will discuss and adopt a report on the security and humanitarian situations by the tripartite work team. stressing that the joint team inspected IDPs camps and met with local officials to get informed about the efforts of states governments in Darfur to ease the suffering of affected civilians in the region.

Last Thursday, the Sudanese government renewed its call for the withdrawal of the blue helmets from Darfur, pointing that the security situation is stable after fighting the rebels and curbing the tribal violence.

However, UN officials propose limited and gradual withdrawal, stressing the need for a permanent cessation of hostilities with the armed groups and full protection of civilians in Darfur.

(ST)