1 January 2009 -- First anniversary of the African Union- United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur

16 Mar 2009

1 January 2009 -- First anniversary of the African Union- United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur

El Fasher, 1 January 2009 – The African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) marks today its first year of service to the people of Darfur. In the year since the transfer of responsibility from the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) on 31 December 2007, former AMIS soldiers, police officers, together with their civilian colleagues serving in UNAMID, have worked tirelessly under difficult and often dangerous circumstances to sustain a presence throughout Darfur. In that respect, UNAMID acknowledges the efforts of its predecessor.

While an all-inclusive peace agreement has yet to be achieved, UNAMID’s dedicated work has facilitated humanitarian relief, local conflict resolution, and security so as to establish and strengthen conditions that can enable the people of Sudan to resolve this tragic conflict. As the Mission completes the end of year rotation of former AMIS troops, and with the cooperation of the Government of Sudan, UNAMID continues to deploy its new contingents to achieve full authorized strength in the months ahead. Deputy Joint Special Representative Mr. Henry Anyidoho, commenting today on behalf of the AU-UN Joint Special Representative Mr. Rodolphe Adada, reaffirmed UNAMID’s commitment to its mandate and the determination of its soldiers, police officers, and civilian members to build on this initial modest achievement.