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NEWS THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2014

Head of Darfur peacekeeping mission to quit



September 10, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and joint chief mediator, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, is leaving the hybrid operation, a report published in Khartoum said.

Al-Tayyar newspaper on Wednesday reported that Chambas had informed the UN secretary-general of his intention to stand down, adding that consultations are taking place between the UN and the African Union to replace him.

The source further said that Said Djinnit, an Algerian diplomat who serves since last July as UN special envoy for the Great Lakes region, is the best candidate to be appointed as new UNAMID chief.

Djinnit served as head of the UN office for West Africa (UNOWA). Also, he was the High-Level Representative of the Secretary-General to Nigeria, in support of efforts against Boko Haram.

Djinnit is also known in the African Union where he worked for long time in different positions. Among other roles, he was also appointed the first AU commissioner for peace and security.

African sources told Sudan Tribune about a week ago of Chambas’s intended departure from the joint mission. However, it was not clear why the Ghanaian diplomat decided to resign.

The UN chief launched an internal investigation in July after allegations that the UNAMID had been covering up crimes by Sudanese government militia against civilians in Darfur.

“These allegations cover a wide range of issues, including inaccurate reporting of the facts on the ground in Darfur, specific instances of failure to protect civilians and accusations of mismanagement of UNAMID,” said Ban in a statement issued on 2 July.

The UN chief asked that the internal review of UNAMID’s performance be completed within one month.

His move took place after a demand by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and several members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to probe the accusations.

In a report published by the American magazine Foreign Policy in April, former UNAMID spokesperson Aicha El-Basri gave accounts of several incidents between August 2012 and the end of 2013 where the joint operation denied or ignored attacks carried out by Sudanese militia against civilians.

Chambas was appointed as the head of Darfur peacekeeping mission in December 2013. He is also tasked with the peace file and serves as a joint mediator.

(ST)