The outgoing Head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, speaks about UNAMID’s significant achievements in the implementation of the Mission’s core mandate: the protection of the civilians in Darfur.

In a 30-minute interview, Mr. Chambas says, judged by its core mandate—protection of innocent Darfuri civilians—UNAMID has performed "credibly.” He reveals that some two million displaced civilians in Darfur lead a relatively secure life, on account of UNAMID’s military and police component which patrol displaced persons camps and provide a secure environment to humanitarian workers.

Mr. Chambas leaves UNAMID after serving for one year and six months as the African Union and United Nation’s Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator in Darfur.

UNAMID: Why you are leaving the Mission, particularly at this time when your efforts toward bringing non-signatory movements together have started to bear fruit?

JSR Chambas: The mediation efforts that I engaged in here at UNAMID have been undertaken in collaboration with my colleagues and the Joint Mediation Support Team. My senior management has provided advice and guidance.  I came to the Mission and met capable and committed staff—people who knew Darfur and Sudan more than I could claim to have known. I am very appreciative of the support that I received from everyone at UNAMID, especially in terms of the political and mediation aspects as also the senior advisers who worked with me.

We are motivated by a mandate to try and bring the Sudanese together on a path of peace, to enable them to put several years of conflict behind them; our role is to facilitate peace. I hope that whatever has been achieved during my stay here will be built upon by my successors, much in the same way that I came to build on foundations laid by previous Joint AU-UN Chief Mediators.

UNAMID: How do you expect your successor to take forward the rapport you have established with the non-signatory movements?

JSR Chambas: I hope that the non-signatory movements will understand the need to explore possibilities for negotiated ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities. And, on the part of the Government, I hope there will be an inclination to put the conflict behind them and truly work toward achieving a cessation of hostilities. This would create a conducive environment for pursuing a national dialogue which, I believe, is the way forward for Sudan. A genuinely inclusive national dialogue will bring the Sudanese together in discussions regarding the future of their country. It will enable them to work together to build their country.

UNAMID: Could you sum up your accomplishments during your time as Head of the Mission with regard to the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate?

JSR Chambas: The Mission’s core mandate has been protection of civilians. If you measure the performance of the Mission against this core issue, the conclusion you will draw is that UNAMID has performed credibly. The men and women who constitute UNAMID’s military, police and civilian components need to be commended for delivering on this core mandate.

In Darfur we have at least two million displaced civilians currently. It is UNAMID’s duty to ensure that the displaced are able to live their lives and go about their normal duties without harm or intimidation.

If you look at the casualty rates within the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, they are relatively less in number because UNAMID troops are patrolling these camps on a daily basis. UNAMID police are present in these camps; our civilian personnel are there engaged in human rights, civil affairs and humanitarian activities. UNAMID regularly provides security to humanitarian convoys and humanitarian workers in these camps to ensure the displaced get their food rations.

These successes are often overlooked when pitted against, maybe, an occasional, unfortunate incident.

By and large, UNAMID is fulfilling its mandate in providing protection to the vulnerable. In one particular instance, we opened our gates for more than 4,000 IDPs, ensured their safety and then, once the violence had subsided, we constructed a new camp for them, where they live now.

Let me cite another example. Earlier this year, there was heightened violence and the international attention was once again focused on Darfur. I am proud to say that many civilians who were unfortunately displaced turned to UNAMID team sites.

On many other occasions, thousands came to live around the perimeter of the Mission’s team sites. We accommodated the displaced and arranged for humanitarian services to be provided—food, water, medication, and so forth— until they felt secure enough to move to the IDP camps and, in some cases, even back to their communities. UNAMID has amply demonstrated its capacity, ability and determination to meet the mandate of protection of civilians, especially when we were really tested during February up to early May 2014.

UNAMID: We are now operating on a revised mandate, revised priorities. How do you think the streamlined Mission structure will impact UNAMID’s ability to protect civilians effectively?

JSR Chambas: Well, here I want to commend the Force Commander, the Police Commissioner, all senior officers and forces on the ground. They have taken into account the reduced numbers, restructured their operations and come up with new standard operative procedures that give them more flexibility in terms of deployment of their men and women in the field. This has been very helpful.

 Yes, UNAMID, at this point, is short by few battalions. Some battalions that were reduced have not been replaced because of delays in approvals from the Government of Sudan. I want to appeal to the Government to accelerate these approvals so that we can have the full component of troops that have been approved for the Mission.

UNAMID: Your time as JSR has been described as a very successful period for UNAMID. What were some major challenges you faced on the ground?

JSR Chambas: The challenges of working in Darfur are known. First of all, this is a remote part of Sudan with a harsh geographic environment. Secondly, there is poor infrastructure; it almost impossible to move around by road during certain times of the year. We also often face administrative challenges from the Government’s side. There are delays in approvals of visas for UNAMID personnel or procurement of contingent-owned equipment for the Mission. These challenges often hinder our capacity and ability to operate within the Mission area.

UNAMID: Could you tell us a bit about important issues faced by the Mission while interacting with the host government?

JSR Chambas: There are more of perception issues. There is an expectation that UNAMID or the UN would be more involved in development activities. This is an issue that has often been raised. I say this is a misunderstanding because the Mission’s mandate is not about engaging in development, it is about protecting the civilian populations of Darfur within a context where these civilian populations are caught in a conflict between rebels, Government authorities and numerous militia groups.

This is the principal context in which UNAMID was deployed and it also includes, of course, working to improve human rights, the rule of law and addressing some of the fundamental issues of marginalization in Darfur.

The UN does engage in development activities in Darfur, but through a different component—the UN Country Team which includes UNDP, UNICEF, FAO and other UN agencies. Many of these are deployed in Sudan and they wish they could have the access and the ability to move freely in Darfur and contribute to developmental activities here. However, this is not UNAMID’s mandate.

Even the Mission’s revised mandate brings on board UNAMID’s efforts in mediating local conflicts. Since the time that I have been in Darfur, ethnic conflicts, particularly inter-Arab conflicts, have been a primary cause of insecurity, leading to the displacement of many. Because of this, both the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council revised UNAMID’s mandate giving us the additional responsibility to mediate in these inter-communal conflicts by working with local- and state-level authorities, the DRA and the Government of Sudan.

UNAMID: Another important aspect of your work here is bringing non-signatory movements to the peace process. How would you rate your success on this front?

JSR Chambas: I think we have come a long way. When I arrived, many non-signatory movements did not want to deal with UNAMID and harbored misconceptions about UNAMID’s role in Darfur. Therefore, it was our duty to apprise them that UNAMID is here to facilitate dialogue between the movements—the non-signatories—and the Government in an objective, honest and transparent manner. We informed the Government about our intentions and reached out to the non-signatories to assure them that, in our estimation, the time has come to put conflict behind us and to move toward a negotiated political resolution of the crisis in Darfur.

I came to Darfur after a decade of ongoing conflict and kept reminding all involved parties that, according to me, no side can really claim a military victory. In this context, it is prudent to seek a negotiated solution for the sake of the suffering people of Darfur who have been victims of these clashes.

 

UNAMID: UNAMID is a unique mission on account of its hybrid, collaborative nature. What are the lessons learned from this partnership?

JSR Chambas: I think the partnership needs to be strengthened. The cooperation between regional organizations and the UN was foreseen even by the drafters of the UN Charter some 60 years ago, long before regional organizations became a prominent feature within international communities, as is the norm today.

UNAMID, in my view, is a good example of the UN working with regional organizations, in this case, the African Union (AU), to tackle a common problem. It is a good model that, I believe, needs to be explored more.

The AU brings its strengths to the table, especially its good relationship with Sudan. It is, in my opinion, trusted more by the Government of Sudan and this needs to be harnessed in the efforts to bring the Sudanese government together with the rebels in the interest of sustainable peace.  Meanwhile, the UN has tremendous resources that it has brought to play in terms of the deployment of the Mission.

There is a need to see how harmonization of efforts by these two organizations in Darfur.  Additionally, I hope they work together in the future in tackling other African conflicts. This would then become a global model.

 

UNAMID: Is it because of the AU’s relationship with Sudan that, when you briefed the AU and the UN Security Council, you proposed that mediation work should be conjoined with the AU High Level Implementation Panel?

JSR Chambas: This one reason. The other is that in mediation it is good to seek harmonization of different tracks to avoid overlap and, what is called, “forum shopping.” Once the AU has taken the lead in appointing a High Level Implementation Panel of three former Heads of States, I think it is prudent to find a way to work within this umbrella.

Each side adds value and capacity. For instance, if you take the case of UNAMID, we have had longstanding contacts with the non-signatory movements and have built trust with them. So, we can play a role in bringing them into the mediation process while relying on the strength of former Presidents Thabo Mbeki (South Africa), Abdulsalami Abubaker (Nigeria) and Pierre Buyoya (Burundi), who have also been looking at the comprehensive, global context of the mediation efforts here.

Ultimately to have peace and security in Darfur, one should aim for all-inclusive, comprehensive peace and security across Sudan. If there is conflict in one part of the country, then, in a way, none of Sudan is really at peace. We want peace in all regions of Sudan so that it can be like any other country which seeks to consolidate peace, build democracy and prosperity for its people.

UNAMID: Do you believe that peace will come to Darfur?

JSR Chambas: I cannot imagine condemning the people of Darfur to perpetual conflict and instability. They have suffered long enough—from the short period I have been here, what I see cannot be a sustainable option. For this reason I would urge the Government of Sudan and the rebel movements to rethink their approach and to find the political will and courage to use dialogue as the way out of the current conflict and return to negotiations under the AU High Level Panel working with UNAMID and others to bring peace to Darfur.

There is great potential in this region and its people can do better in an environment of peace and security. The international community, as I know, is also willing and able to support the cause of peace in Darfur.

In this regard, the Donor Conference, which was hosted by Qatar, has played a very useful role in the quest for peace in Darfur.  We got very positive responses and Qatar itself has made strong commitments for post-conflict reconstruction. But we must have peace to enable the Darfur Development Strategy (DDS) to be implemented for the benefit of the people of Darfur.

As I leave, my hope and my expectation is that peace will come to Darfur and that the people of Darfur will also be able to enjoy the same peace and security as many other Africans across our continent.

UNAMID: Do you have a message for the people of Darfur, the parties to the conflict and to UNAMID?

JSR Chambas: I would urge everyone to strive hard to return Darfur to its former days when it was known as a land of peace and prosperity for everyone. Darfuris will have to learn to live together in harmony, and it is my hope that this will happen sooner, rather than later.

 

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