UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Friday condemned the attack and looting of United Nations African Union Hybrid Operation In Darfur (UNAMID) in El Geneina on May 14.
In a joint statement on UNAMID and the Darfur peace process, Chergui and Lacroix underlined that UNAMID's withdrawal process from Darfur will continue as per the decisions of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council.
They joined UNAMID in reminding the government of Sudan and the local population of their continued obligation to safeguard UNAMID personnel and assets in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, according to the statement.
The UNAMID mandated by the Security Council is currently withdrawing from its Darfur facilities, and it reported that "an unruly crowd forcefully intruded into the super camp, where they looted UN property and contingent-owned-equipment" on Tuesday.
Darfur has been plagued by conflicts between the government forces and the armed rebels since 2003. UNAMID, the second biggest of the UN peacekeeping missions, was first deployed in Darfur in early 2008, and its full withdrawal is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
