The United Nations Security Council on Thursday announced it has decided to delay a planned pullout of peacekeepers from Sudan’s western province of Darfur owing to the ongoing crisis in the country following the overthrow of longtime president Omar al-Bashir, reported The Hindu.
The 15-member council voted unanimously and approved a resolution drafted by the United Kingdom and Germany to extend the current mandate of the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, for four months until October 31.
The UN currently has a force size of 5,600 in Darfur, though plans had been in place to reduce the size to 4,050.
The document said members agreed to “extend, temporarily and exceptionally, the period of drawdown for UNAMID’s military personnel outlined … in order to maintain the mission’s self-protection capacities.”
The council has asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to provide an update on the situation on the ground in 60 days. It has also called out the U.N. and AU to make recommendations by Sept. 30 on what the council should do about continuing the withdrawal.
Jonathan Allen, the UK’s deputy UN ambassador, said the council made “the responsible decision to pause the withdrawal,” which he said aligns with the decision of the AU Peace and Security Council.
“It would have been impossible under current circumstances to have continued the drawdown as if nothing were happening in
Khartoum,” Allen said while talking to reporters outside the council chamber at the world body’s headquarters in New York.
We can’t see any continuation of a drawdown until it’s absolutely clear what’s happening to the [UN bases] until we’re clear about the role of Rapid Support Forces,” he added. “And, of course, what we want to see in Khartoum is a transition to a civilian-led government.”
Sudan’s military ousted former President Omar al-Bashir in April amid mass public protests against his 30-year rule. The military is currently in a tense standoff with the protest movement demanding civilian rule.
