May 16, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is closing down its offices and relocating from North to South Sudan following a request by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that the peacekeeping mission end its mandate, a pro-government website reported on Monday.
Zambian peacekeepers with the UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) – photo: UN / Tim McKulkaUNMIS was established in 2005 to ensure that northern and southern Sudan comply with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the NCP and Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the same year that ended two decades of civil war.
The last stage of the CPA was completed this year with the conduct of South Sudan referendum in which Southerners were asked to pick between establishing their own state or remaining united with the North.
The vote came overwhelmingly in favor of secession and a new state will officially see the light on July 9th.
In late April, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted unanimously to extend UNMIS mandate until July 9th. Furthermore, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was asked to present a report indicating the post-independence options for the UN presence.
The government sponsored Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website said the mission began transferring its equipment from northern Sudan to Juba including all sectors of UNMIS property in Kadugli, Damazin and Port Sudan, Khartoum and El-Obayid.
It quoted diplomatic sources as saying that five months ago the mission were asked to evacuate from the North in line with Sudan’s right as a host state under international law. Khartoum warned that it will lift UNMIS immunity after July 9th if it feels any foot dragging on the part of the mission in implementing the directive.
The NCP’s political secretary Qutbi Al-Mahdi had stressed in press statements today that UNMIS’s mandate is over.
Tension between the North and South has escalated particularly on the border region and even resulted in deadly clashes such as the ones in the disputed oil-rich district of Abyei. There are also fears of similar incidents following election results in South Kordofan which was rejected by SPLM.
(ST)