31 December 2007 -- Mr. Adada pays his personal tribute to the men and women of AMIS whose dedication, bravery and sacrifice over the last four and a half years has laid the foundation for this new enlarged joint UN and AU Mission.

Remarks of the Joint Special Representative Rudolphe Adada at the AMIS UNAMID Transfer of Authority Ceremony El Fasher 31 December 2007.

Your Excellency the Wali of North Darfur, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen and all fellow members of UNAMID, welcome to this ceremony which marks the transfer of authority from the African Union Mission in Sudan to the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur.

This is indeed an historic occasion.

And before I read to you the messages of the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Prof. Alpha Konare, I would like to make a few introductory remarks of my own.

Firstly, I would like to pay my personal tribute to the men and women of AMIS whose dedication, bravery and sacrifice over the last four and a half years has laid the foundation for this new enlarged joint UN and AU Mission. I salute you all.

UNAMID will now build on what AMIS has achieved with a new and robust mandate and the prospect of a larger and more technically capable force.

It will be a mission based on the simple philosophy that it is here to help ALL the people of Darfur.

It will be a mission dedicated to the service of ALL Darfurians.

It will be a mission that will work tirelessly and impartially to help bring peace and security to everyone in this troubled region of Sudan.

And in return for this commitment I call on all of the people, from every corner of Darfur to work with UNAMID with the same spirit of cooperation energy.

We must ALL work together to create a pact of partnership for a secure and stable future.

By working together we will succeed together,

Finally UNAMID must be able to operate throughout Darfur without let or hindrance. There must be freedom of movement for all. The fighting must stop and the ceasefire must be respected by all parties.

Now is the time for peace.