UNAMID hands back former ISS Compound to the Agricultural Research Centre in El Fasher, North Darfur

Photo by Deepak Tiwari, UNAMID.

Photo by Deepak Tiwari, UNAMID.

Photo by Deepak Tiwari, UNAMID.

Photo by Deepak Tiwari, UNAMID.

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2 Jul 2020

UNAMID hands back former ISS Compound to the Agricultural Research Centre in El Fasher, North Darfur

El Fasher, 2 July 2020- As part of its drawdown and liquidation process, prior to its planned exit from Darfur at the end of December 2020, UNAMID on 29 June handed over its former Integrated Services Section Compound  (ISS) in El Fasher, North Darfur to the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), a Government of Sudan agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Led by the Mission’s Joint Special Representative/Joint Chief Mediator, Jeremiah Mamabolo and the Director of the ARC, Professor Abdalla Osman, the hand back included the ceremonial signing of a certificate of temporary possession of the compound and handover of the premises.

 The hand back is in line with the Mission’s revised handover strategy to ensure that a plan is in place for the partial use of facilities and locations for civilian purposes. In addition, the strategy is aimed at enabling the civilian end-user to gradually take possession of sites under UNAMID supervision to avoid a vacuum that could predispose the site to looting after the eventual drawdown of the Mission.

 Speaking at the occasion, UNAMID Joint Special Representative/ Joint Chief Mediator (JSR/JCM) Jeremiah Mamabolo, expressed the Mission’s appreciation of the Government of Sudan’s support in the provision of the site which had served in the past as the Mission’s a hub for all logistic activities including planning, vehicle repair workshops, fuel station for all Mission vehicles, general supply, and engineering warehouses.

  “As UNAMID consolidates its resources of personnel, operational activities in preparation for drawdown and liquidation, this site is being returned to the Agricultural Research Centre. UNAMID is grateful for the use of the site for its logistic requirements and now returns the site with attendant assets that would be useful to the host community, especially in the critical area of agriculture research”, said Mamabolo.

 In his remarks, the Director of ARC in north Darfur, Professor Abdalla Osman, expressed his appreciation to UNAMID for handing over that portion of the Mission’s Logistics Operating Base and assets to his agricultural centre and  indicated that the site will be used as an agricultural extension facility for training.  He highlighted the importance of agriculture for sustainable development in the community.

 It is worth mentioning that, the returned site was provided to UNAMID in 2007 on a leasehold by the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) and was initially used to establish the Mission’s Logistic Operating Base (LOB). Structural improvements were subsequently constructed by the United Nations contracted company, Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE).