Khartoum, 26 August 2010 – The Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Professor Ibrahim Gambari today attended a Consultative Meeting on Darfur Peace Strategy with Sudanese Presidential Advisor, Dr. Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani; Chairman of the AU High Level Implementation Panel, Thabo Mbeki, and US Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration.

The participants underlined the necessity of having a comprehensive strategy that would encompass all aspects of the Darfur problem, including security, stabilization, development and early recovery.

The meeting agreed that UNAMID and the Government of Sudan (GoS) would cooperate closely to improve the security situation in Darfur and conduct joint action to ensure stabilization and development in the whole region.

The meeting also discussed the GoS Darfur Security Strategy/Plan along with the draft US Security and Stabilization Initiative for Darfur.

JSR Gambari expressed his satisfaction over the strategy saying he would look forward for cooperation between UNAMID and GoS Police and military forces to ensure the security of Darfur.

The JSR also emphasized UNAMID’s commitment to support early recovery and development in the region.

“UNAMID will be supporting recovery programs in close consultation and coordination with the UN Country Team,” Professor Gambari remarked.

Mr. Mbeki referred to the necessity of involving the Darfurian people in the peace process and its negotiations, expressing his expectation to have a peace deal concluded before the end of this year.

Also present at the meeting was UNAMID’s Deputy JSR for Operations and Management, Mohamed Yonis; Force Commander, Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba; and Police Commissioner, James Oppong-Boanuh.

The forum, presided over by the Wali’s (Governor’s) Advisor on Women and Children Affairs and attended by committee members representing key ministries and institutions, as well as Civil Society representatives, focused on several critical issues. Most notably this included monitoring the representation of women in government structures, the peace process, women empowerment, gender and sexual based violence and child soldiers.

The body proposed a number of recommendations and revised the State’s Plan of Action to steer the future course of the work of the committee. Among others, the recommendations focused on community mobilization through raising awareness, capacity development of government institutions, advocacy for law reforms and women’s empowerment through education.

Access continues to be granted to humanitarian NGOs for entry into Kalma by the Humanitarian Aid Commission. No new population movements within and out of the camp have been reported. Submersible pumps in the most populated parts of Kalma continue to function.

After nearly five days, fighting between the Meseriya and Rezeghat tribes reportedly continues in the Kass region, located approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Nyala, South Darfur. Mediation efforts were attempted by the Deputy Wali (Governor) of South Darfur over the weekend. A UNAMID verification mission is underway to provide an assessment on the situation, including the number of casualties.

Aid groups have today been allowed into Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, after being denied entry yesterday by local authorities citing security concerns.

The peacekeepers were released in Kass, South Darfur. They were then immediately transported to the Mission’s Level III Hospital in Nyala, where they underwent a medical examination. They appeared to be unharmed and in good health, and will later be flown to Khartoum.

They were welcomed by the Mission’s Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) Mohamed B. Yonis, who expressed gratitude for their safe return. “We are thankful to have our colleagues back with us. They appear to be in good spirits and I commend the courage they have shown during this ordeal.” he said.

The release comes following meetings held yesterday in Nyala between Mr. Yonis and a joint Government-UNAMID taskforce set up to resolve the matter. “We are very appreciative of the Government’s support in securing their freedom,” said the DJSR. State authorities have today pledged to continue working to capture the perpetrators and bring them to trial.

The peacekeepers were seized on Saturday morning by unidentified armed men as they were walking from their accommodation to a transport pickup point.

“Continued attacks on UNAMID peacekeepers and abductions and mistreatment of UN staff and humanitarian workers will only aggravate the situation,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks against UNAMID personnel in recent months, and comes as tensions continue at the Kalma camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nyala, South Darfur.

Violence erupted at the camp late last month following the latest round of peace talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, aimed at bringing an end to the Darfur conflict, with some of the camp’s residents saying they were not fully represented.

Mr. Ban, according to the statement, appreciated the restoration today of some humanitarian access to Kalma camp, which is home to an estimated 82,000 people and which had been off limits to UN humanitarian agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for nearly two weeks.

In addition to the obstruction of aid efforts at Kalma camp, approximately 100,000 people affected by fighting in the eastern Jebel Marra region have been unreachable since February, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Office noted that constraints on aid agencies operating in Darfur have been steadily increasing since March 2009, when 11 international NGOs were expelled from the region.

The Secretary-General called on the Sudanese Government “to apprehend and bring to justice those who attack UN staff and humanitarian workers and to take all possible measures to ensure that humanitarian access to all Sudanese remains open and humanitarian space protected,” the statement added.

16 August 2010 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed concern over a string of recent incidents that have contributed to a worsening of the situation in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region, where tensions continue at a camp for displaced persons and two United Nations-African Union peacekeepers were seized on Saturday.

UNAMID’s Chinese Engineering Company began work on Sunday on the Mission’s half of the trench. The measure is designed to reduce the high incidence of criminality by regulating travel to and from the town. While limiting entry and exit through small roads, the town will remain fully accessible through major roads and highways.

The trench, measuring 2 meters deep and 2 meters wide, will span approximately 40 kilometers long and is expected to be completed within 4 to 5 weeks. Local authorities will provide 24 hour protection for UNAMID equipment and personnel until the project’s completion.

The majority of Kalma’s sectors have reported improvements in security, with IDPs returning to their homes and resuming normal activities.

Humanitarian conditions in the camp continue to deteriorate. Fuel stores in the camp have been exhausted, and consequently motorized water pumps have ceased to function. Contrary to reports on 12 August, there are two functioning clinics in Kalma camp, albeit with limited resources. One of the clinics yesterday informed UNAMID of over 60 cases of malnutrition.