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On 12 February 2019, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Bintou Keita; the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Programme, Mourad Wahba; and the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco concluded a three-day visit to Sudan. Their visit focused on the transition of the UN’s engagement in Darfur in the context of the drawdown of the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, known as UNAMID.
From 9 to 11 February, they visited Darfur where they engaged with local and State authorities, native administration, IDPs and Civil Society among others in order to ensure a smooth transition of peace-building tasks from UNAMID to UN Agencies, Programmes and Funds and the relevant authorities of the Government of Sudan (GOS). On 11 February, the delegation returned to Khartoum where they met with the Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elham Ahmed and a high level delegation from all Government bodies working with UNAMID.
The discussion revolved around issues related to the transition and eventual exit of UNAMID by June 2020.
The high level UN delegation held a broader meeting between UNAMID, the UN Country Team (UNCT) and the Government of Sudan in order to coordinate efforts to facilitate a smooth transition.
During these engagements the three Assistant Secretaries -Generals emphasized that the responsibility of achieving peace, stability and development for the people of Darfur lies with the Government of Sudan while all other entities can play a supporting role.
This joint mission reflected the United Nations’ commitment to supporting this important process and ensuring national ownership for sustaining peace.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
