The AU PSC, at its 446th meeting held on 9 July 2014, adopted a decision on the situation in Darfur and the activities of the UNAMID

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 16, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 446th meeting held on 9 July 2014, adopted the following decision on the situation in Darfur and the activities of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID):

Council,

1. Takes note of the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Darfur and the activities of UNAMID [PSC/PR/2 (CDXLVI)], as well as of the briefings made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security and the Joint Special Representative for UNAMID and Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur. Council also takes note of the statements made by the representative of the Government of Sudan (GoS), as well as those made by Nigeria, France, the United Kingdom (UK),the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU);

2. Recalls its previous decisions and communiqués on the situation in Darfur, including communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(CDXXV), on the review of UNAMID operations, adopted at its 425th meeting, held on 24 March 2014;

3. Reiterates its appreciation to UNAMID leadership and personnel for their dedication and contribution to the promotion of peace, security, stability and reconciliation in the Darfur region of Sudan, and notes with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of UNAMID’s mandate, including with respect to the protection of civilians. In this regard, Council pays tribute to the UNAMID personnel who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty for the cause of peace in Darfur;

4. Takes note of the efforts deployed by UNAMID to implement the recommendations of the Review conducted by the UN and the AU Team, in accordance with resolution 2113 (2013) of 30 July 2013, and communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(CD), adopted at its 400th meeting held on 17 October 2013. Council welcomes the progress made in the strategic priority areas as identified by the Review Team, notably the protection of civilians, the facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and support to mediation relating to inter-communal conflicts;

5. Strongly condemns all attacks against UNAMID personnel and assets, as well as against humanitarian organizations and their staff, and urges the GoS to spare no efforts in identifying the authors of these criminal acts and bringing them to justice;

6. Reiterates its firm support to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) as a viable framework for bringing lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur. In this context, Council welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the DDPD, as illustrated by the steps recently taken towards the implementation of its security provisions, the launching, on 22 June 2014, of the Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Committees that are expected to work with the native administration to address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and the inauguration, on 26 May 2014, in El-Fasher, of the Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultation (DIDC) Implementation Committee. Council encourages the Parties to expedite their efforts towards addressing the outstanding issues, and calls on the international community to enhance its support to the implementation process. In this context, Council underscores the complementarity of these processes;

7. Notes that, while fighting between the Government forces and the armed movements has reduced significantly over the past months, violence continued with renewed fighting between ethnic groups over resources. Council urges for renewed efforts to address the prevailing situation and, in this respect, commends UNAMID for the initiatives taken to prevent inter-ethnic and inter-communal conflicts and facilitate their resolution when they occur;

8. Expresses deep concern at the continued human rights violations in Darfur, including the increase in sexual and gender-based violence. Council strongly condemns these violations and calls on the GoS to take appropriate measures to address this situation, notably by identifying their perpetrators and bringing them to justice. Council welcomes the capacity building support provided by UNAMID to GoS institutions and relevant civil society organizations;

9. Reiterates its earlier appeals to all armed belligerents to cease all acts of violence in Darfur and recommit themselves to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in that region. In this respect, Council calls on the holdout armed movements to join the peace process on the basis of the DDPD, welcomes the consultations undertaken by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security and the JCM with the Qatari authorities, in Doha, on 5 May 2014, and reiterates its support to the continued engagement of the JCM with both the GoS and the holdout armed movements. Council looks forward to the holding of the envisaged meeting, in Addis Ababa, between the GoS and the armed movements, as part of the process of confidence-building and ensuring inclusivity of all parties for national reconciliation;

10. Stresses the need for the efforts to address the Darfur crisis to be part of the holistic approach to the challenges of peace, governance and democracy in Sudan, and that the national initiative for dialogue, announced by President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, in January 2014, provides a unique opportunity that the GoS and all other stakeholders should seize in order to advance peace and reconciliation in Sudan, taking into account Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.501 (XXII), by which the Assembly declared 2014-2024 as the Madiba Nelson Mandela Decade of Reconciliation in Africa. Council further welcomes the coordination between the AUHIP and the JCM, and reiterates its call to all parties to create a conducive environment for the success of the initiative;

11. Expresses concern at the prevailing humanitarian situation in Darfur, including the increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and appeals for renewed efforts to address the challenges at hand, including mobilization of additional resources and capacities. In this regard, Council encourages the GoS to engage more with humanitarian aid agencies with a view to facilitating their work in the communities affected;

12. Appeals to AU Member States and the larger international community to continue to provide the much-needed support with a view to enhancing the capacity of UNAMID to more effectively discharge its mandate and to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Darfur;

13. Reiterates the critical importance of continued UNAMID presence in Darfur, in order to contribute to the protection of the civilian population and advance the search for peace, security, stability and reconciliation in that region. Accordingly, Council decides to extend, for a further period of 12 months, the mandate of UNAMID as defined in its communique PSC/PR/Comm.(LXXIX) of its 79th meeting held on 22 June 2007 and UN Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) of 31 July 2007. Council requests the UN Security Council to do the same;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

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