Your Excellencies, esteemed members of the Security Council, honorable guests;

On behalf of UNAMID, senior leadership and all staff members, I would like to start by warmly welcoming you all to Sudan and to the Headquarters of UNAMID. I have with me here, among others, my deputies, the Principal Deputy JSR Henry Anyidoho, The Deputy JSR for Management and Operations; Hocine Medili, Force Commander General Martin Agwai and Police Commissioner Mr. Michael Fryer.

I wish to thank you for taking the time to come all the way to Darfur to see, feel and understand the reality on the ground. I consider this visit a continuation and translation of the SG’s regular dialogue with the Security Council on the status of deployment and the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

Despite the challenges that you are already aware of, UNAMID has been fully committed to ensuring the full implementation of Resolution 1769. Both accomplishments and challenges will be detailed to you by my senior leadership shortly. Your Excellencies, I am hoping that seeing the level of complexity that we are grappling with will encourage you to assist us further in accelerating the deployment of UNAMID.

As you know, the Mission has been working very closely with the Headquarters on an ‘Enhanced Deployment Plan’ to ensure that by the end of the year 2008, UNAMID will have met 80% of its targeted deployment. This plan will require a lot of hard work, commitment and political will to make it succeed. I can assure you the hard work and the commitment of UNAMID as a whole.

I believe that the international community and the Security Council have sent a strong message of political commitment towards Sudan in general and Darfur in particular through resolution 1769. Unfortunately, this political will has not been fully translated into action. UNAMID still lacks major capacities that will seriously compromise its ability to implement resolution 1769 if not obtained urgently.

The people of Sudan are waiting for UNAMID to fulfill its promises. The world has placed its confidence in this Mission. I am afraid that this trust is strongly tied to the timetable of human patience. This confidence will not be there forever. It will wither away if we are not able to deliver as soon as possible.

Here is where I need your help: I need your help to come in time. If we wait longer, we might not be able to maintain the most important capital for any peacekeeper: local trust.

Since UNAMID is the representative of the international community’s unified will in Darfur, ensuring and protecting the integrity of the Mission is my number one priority. I take this responsibility extremely seriously. This integrity is heavily tied to the leadership’s ability to remain impartial, in a very polarized context – both locally and internationally. This Senior Leadership is highly committed to ensuring an impartial analysis and response to the situation in Darfur. Following the lengthy discussions which took place yesterday in Khartoum, I hope we will be able to share with you today our own impartial and candid view of why things are or are not working in Darfur.

In conclusion you Excellencies, I would like to ask for your help once again in accelerating the deployment of our Forces and eliminating all the small and big impediments that are standing in the way of achieving our goals.

Finally let me once again tell you how honored we are by your visit and we hope that the value of your visit to El-Fasher will be made apparent very soon.

5 June 2008

For Contact Information:
Mr. Noureddine Mezni
UNAMID Spokesperson
Tel: +249 912174276
n.mezni@un.org, n.mezni@gmail.com