El Fasher, 8 November 2009:  The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) calls on the Sudan Liberation Movement/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) to desist from impeding the work of UNAMID in Darfur.

This call comes in the wake of an incident on Wednesday 4 November when armed SLA/AW elements surrounded a UN helicopter with UNAMID personnel which landed at Deribat, East Jabel Marra in South Darfur and for three hours prevented it from taking off. The SLA/AW elements eventually released the captured helicopter and the team, which was on a field assessment mission in the area.

It is unacceptable that the Mission’s personnel have again been targeted and threatened in the course of their persistent efforts to assist in restoring peace and security to Darfur. Deliberate attempts to obstruct the operations of the Mission are inimical to attaining overall peace and stability in Darfur and will have an adverse impact on efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the region, and are totally unacceptable.

UNAMID strongly deplores the periodic harassment and detention of its personnel and stresses that it will not tolerate any attempts at intimidation or attacks on its personnel that are aimed at thwarting the progress of the peace process. 

Communication and Public Information Division Media Contacts
Kemal Saïki, Director; saiki@un.org – tel.: +249 (0) 92 244 3529; mobile: +249 (0) 92 241 0020
Noureddine Mezni, Spokesperson; mezni@un.org – mobile: +249 (0) 92 562 9693 -+249 (0) 91 253 8420
Sharon McPherson, Media Relations, McPherson1@un.org –mobile: +249 (0) 92 241 0375 - +249 (0) 92 244 7941