The African Union has extended the mandate of the Unamid peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur.
A press release on Wednesday said the UN and African Union Mission in Darfur, whose current mandate was due to end on June 30, would remain in the troubled region for another 12 months.
The AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) had urged the UN Security Council to extend the Unamid mandate in order to protect the civilians in the war-torn region.
AU attributed the mandate extension to the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Darfur.
“Accordingly, Council decides to extend, for a further period of 12 months, the mandate of UNAMID as defined in communiqué PSC/PR/Comm.(LXXIX) of its 79th meeting held on 22 June 2007 and in UN Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) of 31 July 2007. Council requests the UN Security Council to do the same,’’ the AU said after AUPSC council meeting.
The AU has, however, called for the gradual exit of the forces.
Bone of contention
The AUPSC statement further expressed concerns over the increase in the human rights violation in the region, the non-accountability and the restriction that prevented the mission from implementing its mandate.
“Council requests the Government of Sudan to provide, at its next meeting on the situation in Darfur, an update on the steps taken to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes,’’ the AU statement said.
It further directed the AU mediation team, headed by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki, to resume the negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebels.
The presence of the peacekeepers has been a major bone of contention between the UN and the Khartoum government.
Whereas the latter has insisted on the forces’ exit, the UN maintains such action would be premature. Khartoum has strongly objected to the UN Secretary-General’s report on Darfur, which it described as biased.
The UN chief asked the Security Council to extend the mandate of the Darfur peacekeeping mission for a year, despite Khartoum’s repeated calls for its exit.
Source: Africa Review
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