UNAMID completes its drawdown exercise tomorrow

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) completes its drawdown exercise tomorrow, 30 June 2021, as requested by the UN Security Council resolution 2559 (2020) which ended the Mission’s mandate.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for UNAMID Mr. M’Baye Babacar Cissé said in a press conference at SUNA Press Forum here today focus was made on handing over of UNAMID 14 team sites to the Government besides return of equipment of countries that contributed police and military units, announcing that over 6000 of the missions personnel who numbered 7000 had been repatriated.

He pointed out that the handing over of field sites to the government, local authorities or governments of states had been difficult and faced by many challenges, noting that some of these sites were subjected to looting and criminal acts after their handing over, indicating that agreement had been reached that these sites should be used for civilian purposes such as education and health.

Mr. Cissé indicated that the challenges also included repatriation of the equipment that had been contributed by states, adding that most of these equipment had been sent to their countries.

He said that sustaining peace requires a lot of work at the local level and local communities, stressing their support with more than five hundred quick-impact projects for these communities.

Mr. Cissé explained that there are some programs that were followed and will be implemented through other units in the United Nations country program, saying that UNAMID has allocated about $46 million for these projects.

He indicated that UNAMID had contributed to the construction of many police stations and rural courts, and had succeeded in returning more than 1,300 children who had been recruited, and had contributed to reintegration of more than 11,000 ex-combatants and their demobilization, and established networks to protect women, in addition to raising awareness on dangers of corona-virus pandemic and preventing its spread.

He explained that UNAMID no longer has an official role since the end of its mandate in September 2020, but they are assisting and coordinating with the National Committee for the Protection of Civilians in Darfur, indicating that the exit of UNAMID does not mean the departure of the United Nations and that the United Nations will continue to work through its various agencies and funds.\