Zalingei, 29 December 2019- On 27 December 2019, an estimate of hundreds of residents, as well as individuals in uniform, entered the former UNAMID Sector South Headquarters (Super Camp) in Nyala, South Darfur, by breaching the perimeter fence. Former United Nations-owned assets were looted and the premises of the Super Camp were vandalized. The situation continued throughout the duration of 27 December and was still ongoing on 29 December 2019.
UNAMID condemns the acts of looting and vandalism in the strongest possible terms as they constitute a blatant disregard of the intended purpose of those assets. The Nyala Super Camp and UN assets worth approximately $100 million were handed over to the Government of Sudan pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding and Handover Agreement signed by UNAMID and the Government of Sudan on 19 November 2019, which agreed to ensure the use of the premises and assets for civilian purposes only.
The Mission particularly deplores the participation in these acts by uniformed personnel, who are expected to assist the UN peacekeepers in securing the camps, advancing human rights, and protecting civilians.
UNAMID is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the situation as looters were still active in the Nyala Super Camp as of 29 December 2019. The Mission calls upon the Government of Sudan to take appropriate and immediate action to prevent further looting and vandalism in order to give full support to UNAMID personnel and assets in the Super Camp, including by conducting appropriate investigations into the incidents and bringing the perpetrators to account.
Notes to the Editors:
The former South Darfur Mission headquarters (in Nyala) was handed over to the Government of Sudan on 19 November 2019 for exclusively civilian end-user purposes. The total value of assets handed over in Nyala was $99.4 million.A similar incident took place in May 2019 where civilian and uniformed individuals ransacked and looted UNAMID’s West Darfur Headquarters in El Geneina on the very day it was due to be handed over to the Government of Sudan.
There remains one UNAMID Formed Police Unit (FPU) which still occupies a small part of the former Sector South Headquarters as a reserve police unit to support UNAMID’s Kalma team site as and when required.
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