UNITED NATIONS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China supports the planned withdrawal of the UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in June 2020, said an envoy on Friday.
China welcomes the UNAMID strategic assessment report of the UN secretary-general and the African Union Commission chairperson, which indicates that the overall security situation in Darfur is stable, and suggests that the drawdown should continue, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
"We hope that the (Security) Council members attach importance to the recommendations in the report and, on the basis of respecting the will of the Sudanese government, make proper arrangements for the future mandate of UNAMID to make sure that the mission will complete its planned withdrawal in 2020."
China commends the contributions by UNAMID to maintaining peace and stability in Darfur and supports the extension of its mandate, he told the Security Council.
The current UNAMID mandate expires on June 30, 2019, and the Security Council is scheduled to extend it on June 27.
With the joint efforts of Sudan, UNAMID, and international partners, the situation in Darfur has improved substantially in recent years, said Wu.
Since the second half of 2018, when UNAMID began to implement the transition plan through gradual reconfiguration and drawdown, the situation in Darfur has continued to be stable, he said. "This fully demonstrates that the Sudanese government has the capacity to assume its responsibility to maintain peace and security in Darfur on its own."
He asked the international community to continue to provide assistance to Darfur through bilateral and multilateral channels so as to consolidate the results achieved and to advance peace and reconstruction in the region.
