Fact Sheet: UNAMID

Last December the long-awaited hybrid United Nations-African Union mission (UNAMID) took control of peacekeeping operations in Darfur. But the transition from African Union peacekeepers to the new hybrid mission was largely ceremonial. The people of Darfur are still waiting for protection after five years of death, displacement, rape and broken promises.

What is UNAMID?

• In July 2007, the U.N. Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, passed Resolution 1769, authorizing the U.N.-A.U. Mission in Darfur.
• UNAMID is authorized to consist of up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers, and up to 6,432 police personnel. When fully deployed, it will comprise approximately 26,000 uniformed troops in Darfur, with another 5,000 or so civilian support personnel.
• UNAMID is the first-ever hybrid mission between the United Nations and African Union. Troops will be predominantly African, with contributions from other countries if African nations are unable to meet the force requirements.
• At full strength, UNAMID will be the largest mission ever deployed by the United Nations and will cost an estimated $2.6 billion per year, in addition to start-up costs. U.N. member states will fund the mission through the U.N. assessment scale. The United States is expected to contribute 26 percent of the mission’s costs.

The Current Status of UNAMID

• Only 9,200 uniformed personnel, including military peacekeepers and police personnel, are currently in Darfur – a third of the total uniformed force promised.
• Of those 9,200 peacekeepers, more than 7,000 were already in Darfur prior to authorization of UNAMID as part of the beleaguered A.U. force.
• Since the beginning of this year, only some 300 additional peacekeepers have deployed to Darfur.
• U.N. member states have failed to contribute critically needed equipment, including dozens of heavy transport trucks, 22 helicopters and other crucial resources.
• The Sudanese military attacked a UNAMID convoy less than two weeks after its inauguration. The UNAMID convoy did not return fire. UNAMID has also been attacked on three other occasions.
• The Sudanese government is obstructing deployment of the force by refusing to approve the troop contributing countries list provided by the United Nations and African Union, imposing restrictions on UNAMID flights, delaying the release of UNAMID equipment from Port Sudan and failing to provide sufficient land for bases in Darfur.

What Must Be Done

U.S.:

• President Bush should personally lead an effort to find the necessary equipment and resources by calling a high-level donors conference and by directly contacting heads of state that can contribute these resources.
• The United States should help financially defray costs of member states that are otherwise able to contribute the helicopters and other necessary equipment if the costs are prohibitive.
• The United States should work with France, the United Kingdom, China and others to create a united diplomatic front to demand Sudan’s immediate compliance with UNAMID deployment.
• The United States should strengthen its targeted sanctions on Khartoum and push for multilateral targeted sanctions at the U.N. Security Council.

International Community:

• U.N. member states should immediately contribute the equipment necessary for UNAMID.
• The U.N. Security Council should impose targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for obstructing UNAMID, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
• The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations should accelerate UNAMID camp construction and fill any operational sustainability gaps that exist due to the hybrid nature of the force.

The Sudanese Government:

• The Sudanese government should immediately remove any political and administrative obstructions and facilitate the United Nation’s efforts to deploy UNAMID.