On 10 April 2018, the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui, concluded a joint visit to Sudan, which aimed at strengthening the important partnership between the UN and the AU, as emphasized by both UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Upon their arrival in Khartoum, USG Lacroix and Ambassador Chergui held discussions with various interlocutors on the overall situation in Darfur and the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate, including the Mission’s ongoing reconfiguration. They attended the 25th meeting of the Tripartite Coordination Mechanism on UNAMID on 8 April. The Mechanism, composed of representatives of the Government of Sudan (GoS), the AU and the UN, is a forum at the strategic level aimed at resolving issues and challenges related to UNAMID.

Additionally, USG Lacroix and Ambassador Chergui held meetings with government officials, including the Sudanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Ghandour before travelling to Darfur on 9 April 2018, where they met Acting Wali of North Darfur, Mohamed Braima; spoke to members of the local and international media as well as visited ZamZam displaced persons’ camp, near El Fasher, North Darfur, where they interacted with community leaders on the current security situation as well as other concerns.

This joint visit to Sudan is part of a larger regional--USG Lacroix and Commissioner Chergui are visiting Bangui, Central African Republic, where they will meet with senior Government as well as UN and AU officials and others. They are expected to highlight the ongoing cooperation between the UN and the AU in seeking political solutions to the country’s conflict. They will also co-chair the first meeting of the International Support Group on the Central African Republic aimed at encouraging the international community to re-engage in the peace process and support the urgent humanitarian needs of millions in the country.

USG Lacroix and Commissioner Chergui will also travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where they will jointly brief the African Union Peace and Security Council on 13 April and meet senior AU officials.