7 October 2009 -- AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Force Commander, Lieutenant-General Patrick Nyamvumba, on Tuesday met South Darfur state officials, including the Deputy Wali, Dr. Farah Mustafa Abdalla and members of the state cabinet.

Dr. Abdalla thanked UNAMID for its contribution to the peace process in Darfur and especially in the state of South Darfur, and commended the Mission for security it provided to IDP camps in the area. Moreover, the Deputy Wali acknowledged the Mission’s role in the reconciliation of different tribal groups in the state and expressed his gratitude for its assistance and support to the Government, particularly the Ministries of Agriculture and of Animal Resources. He also alluded to the work of the Chinese engineering contingent on the construction of a school in the state capital of Nyala.

In turn, General Nyamvumba commended the state government’s collaboration with UNAMID and underlined the Mission’s readiness to support the South Darfur authorities. He also expressed his determination to work to ensure that peace was restored to Darfur.

The Force Commander is on a week-long familiarization visit to South Darfur as part of an ongoing series of tours of the Mission area, which he started on his appointment to UNAMID on 1 September. He expects to conclude these visits in mid-October.

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