Almost all peacekeepers have left United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur
July 28, 2021, 6:29 am

Almost all peacekeepers have left United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur

UN staff

According to the Xinhua, the UN logistics chief told the Security Council on Tuesday that almost all peacekeepers and staff have left the hybrid United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in line with its drawdown plan.

The Chinese news agency said that Atul Khare, UN under-secretary-general for operational support, updated ambassadors on progress towards the mission's closure and final liquidation, following the end of its mandate by Dec. 31, 2020 after protecting civilians uprooted by conflict for 13 years.

It added, nearly 6,000 troops and police left the Sudanese province ahead of the drawdown deadline of June 30, and nearly 1,200 civilian staff were separated from the mission.

The UN General Assembly recently approved nearly 80 million U.S. dollars to support final closure no later than June 30, 2022.

Khare was in Sudan earlier this month, where he met with senior officials as part of efforts to ensure progress remains on track.

Only a 360-strong guard unit remains at UNAMID to protect staff working on the exit and the remaining UN assets, though primary responsibility for security rests with the Sudanese Government.

Remaining UN assets in Darfur are being disposed of in two phases, the first of which is already underway.

The mission has so far handed over some 41 million dollars in facilities and equipment to local authorities, but 10 of the 14 sites reportedly have suffered "varying degrees of destruction and theft."

The UN Security Council on Dec. 22, 2020 adopted a resolution to terminate the mandate of UNAMID as from Dec. 31, 2020.

UNAMID was established by the UN Security Council in July 2007 to help maintain and mediate peace in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which had been plagued by a war between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population since 2003.

Source: xinhua

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Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

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