El Fasher, 08 October 2010 – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) today concluded a two-day technical visit to El Fasher, North Dafur.

The delegation, lead by British Ambassador to the UN Mark Lyall Grant, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, and Ugandan Ambassador to the UN Ruhakana Rugunda, met with state officials, community representatives, including internally displaced persons, the UN Country Team, and UNAMID’s senior leadership. The 15 envoys, their delegation and UNAMID officials, also toured a health clinic.       

In comments delivered to the press prior to leaving for Khartoum, Ambassador Grant stated that the UNSC was gravely concerned as to level of violence seen in the region. He went on to say that the Council was fully behind the ongoing peace process and very supportive of UNAMID.   

The visit represented the third leg in the UNSC’s tour of the region and comes in the run up to the January referenda on South Sudan.

The core responsibilities of UNAMID, the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur, include protecting civilians, creating secure conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid, advancing the peace process, and supporting the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. UNAMID is the largest peacekeeping mission in existence worldwide.