Briefing and Consultations on Darfur
On Tuesday, (25 October) Council members are scheduled to hold consultations on the Secretary-General’s most recent report on the UN-AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). It seems that Hervé Ladsous, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, will brief on the report’s findings, including developments on security, political, human rights, and humanitarian issues in Darfur. (Resolution 2003, which renewed UNAMID on 29 July, requires the Secretary-General to report to the Council every ninety days on progress achieved in implementing the mission’s mandate.) A formal outcome to the meeting is not expected.
It appears possible that Ladsous may signal that the modalities for conducting a Darfur-based political process (DPP) have yet to be determined. It seems that he may also note that UNAMID will in the near future seek input from Darfur stakeholders on their expectations of such a process. (Considerable divisions remain within the Council regarding the viability of the DPP, given the difficult security environment in the region).
Ladsous may also touch on the creation of a road map for peace in Darfur that the UN and AU are currently discussing with other international actors and Sudanese stakeholders. It seems that the road map will be described in detail in the Secretary-General’s next UNAMID report, expected in January 2012. (It appears that the road map may include strategies for implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), engagement with rebel groups that have not signed the DDPD, ways of nurturing dialogue in Darfur and helping international actors to more effectively coordinate their efforts in working towards peace in Darfur.)
