23 November 2009 -- As part of a three-day visit to Sudan, a delegation of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council is expected to meet officials of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) at its El Fasher headquarters tomorrow, Tuesday 24 November.

Among other issues, the Council will hold discussions with UNAMID officials on matters associated with the implementation of the Mission’s mandate, such as deployment of human resources and logistics, as well as security and humanitarian assistance, among others. The Council has expressed its full support for UNAMID’s efforts and urged all stakeholders to assist and collaborate with the Mission in its efforts to bring about peace in Darfur.

The 15-member delegation of the Peace and Security Council, which arrived in Khartoum earlier today, is headed by Ambassador Joseph Nsengimana of Rwanda, whose country is chair of the Council for November.

On arrival, the delegation held a meeting with African ambassadors based in Khartoum, facilitated by head of the AU liaison office in Sudan, Ambassador Mahmoud Kane, to exchange points of view on a number of issues and developments related to the overall situation in Sudan. They also met Sudanese Government officials and other stakeholders to assess progress in the implementation of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) and of the Darfur political dialogue.

“We are here to show our continued solidarity with the people of Sudan, especially those who are in conflict ridden areas. We also want to reiterate that the African Union will continue to support and lead peace efforts in the Sudan,” stated Ambassador Nsengimana.

While in Sudan, the AU Peace and Security Council is also scheduled to meet, among others, Government of South Sudan officials in Juba where the focus of discussions will be about the status of implementation of the CPA, including preparations for the upcoming Sudanese general elections. These are slated for April 2010 in accordance with CPA provisions.

This is the Council’s first ever field visit outside of its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.