20 December 2011 - International support for the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is more critical than ever at this stage, as the peacekeeping mission is supporting implementation of the Doha peace deal, said Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, during a visit to Darfur.

 

Asked what he sees as the main challenges for UNAMID in the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), Mwencha told UNAMID media: “Convince the international community of the need to continue to support this kind of Mission to the levels required, both financially and with all the types of personnel who are required -- ground personnel, civilian personnel, police and military -- because this is really sending people in harm’s way. You need to protect them adequately; you need to give them the right equipment to be able to carry out the mission effectively.”

 

UNAMID’s head, Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari, who received the deputy chairperson, had made a similar call for the international community to act decisively and collectively to consolidate the political and humanitarian gains made since the signing of the DDPD when he addressed the AU’s Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa last month.

 

Deputy Chairperson Mwencha said that equally important was the need to “secure the confidence of the stakeholders, particularly in the country in which the Mission is based. There has to be good will on the part of the government and the people to host such a Mission and to facilitate such a Mission.”

 

The Government of Sudan and one of its armed opponents, the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) signed up to the DDPD in Doha on 14 July.  The Joint Commission to resolve disputes over its implementation held its inaugural meeting in Khartoum on 18 December.

 

Mwencha said he was encouraged by reports showing a significant reduction in the level of violence which had permitted a steady number of displaced Darfuris to return to their homes.

 

“We signed a peace accord in Doha, and we would like to see the commitment from all the parties concerned to continue to use that platform to bring about more peace, more reconciliation in Darfur.”

 

Mwencha began a two-day visit to Darfur on Tuesday with consultations with UNAMID leadership on enhancing the mission’s success.

 

“As you know UNAMID is a hybrid mission co-sponsored by the UN and AU, and for us as the AU, having this mission succeeding is extremely important,” he said.

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