UN agrees to end UNAMID mission in Darfur

The UN Security Council voted unanimously to end the UN-African Union Joint Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint UN-AU peacekeeping force in western Sudan that will now be replaced by a civilian mission aimed at national democratic transition. 

Diplomats said Thursday that the Security Council has not set a date for the end of the UNAMID mission, after two draft resolutions were approved in writing on Wednesday night under new rules made necessary by the global health crisis triggered by the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

One of these resolutions, approved by 15 votes in favour and none against, extends the current strategy of 6,500 men for six months, until 31 December 2020, and stresses that the Council will then decide on "the withdrawal and responsible exit of UNAMID", taking into account the statement by UN Secretary General António Guterres and the African Union leadership.

The report, set for 31 October, should analyse the existing situation and include the impact of the Sudanese peace process on the security situation in western Darfur; it should also examine the capacity of the Sudanese government to protect civilians, which is UNAMID's main mandate, according to the official text.

The other resolution, also adopted by 15 votes in favour and none against, establishes a new political initiative, the United Nations Integrated Mission for the Transition in Sudan (UNITAMS), for an initial period of one year. It is designed to assist the African nation in its political transition to democracy and to protect and promote human rights and lasting peace. 

UNITAMS should also assist the Executive in "peacebuilding, the protection of civilians and the rule of law, particularly in Darfur, provide technical assistance in the drafting of a constitution and support peace negotiations and the implementation of any peace agreement if required".

The Security Council has urged António Guterres to rapidly implement UNITAMS with a view to achieving full operational capacity as soon as possible with a view to starting to meet its objectives by 1 January 2021 at the latest.

The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-controlled Executive of discrimination. The Khartoum Government was accused of responding by arming local nomadic Arab tribes and confronting them with the civilian population, an accusation which it has been denying for some time. 

In recent years, due to the government's military campaign, the uprising was reduced to a rebel faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army.

The Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had already announced at the end of May that he had reached an agreement with the United States for UNAMID to end in October without the possibility of an extension. 

Meanwhile, in February, the Government of the country asked the United Nations to implement peace operations covering the entire territory "as soon as possible" during the transition process. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok noted that this proposal should take the form of a political mission, in accordance with Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations on the peaceful settlement of disputes.

More than a year after the coup d'état of 11 April 2019 that overthrew the longstanding regime of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan continues on its path towards democracy. After many negotiations, a transitional government led by a civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, was agreed with the civilian platform Forces for Freedom and Change, initiating a three-year period in which military and civilians would share power until elections were held. Despite this, violence has continued, especially in the hot zone of Darfur, where the fighting caused thousands of people to flee to other countries. 

A process of peace and democratization in Sudan is very necessary, and now more so because of the current health crisis that the world is suffering with the spread of COVID-19 disease throughout the planet.