The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (known by its acronym UNAMID) was a joint African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission formally approved by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 on 31 July 2007, to bring stability to the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan while peace talks on a final settlement continue.

Its initial 12-month mandate was extended to 31 July 2010. As of 2008, its budget was approximately US $106 million per month. Its force of about 26,000 personnel began to deploy to the region in October 2007. The 9,000-strong African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which was previously responsible for peacekeeping, had completely merged into this new force by 31 December 2007.

The mandate is for a force of up to 19,555 military personnel and 3,772 police, along with a further "19 formed police units comprising up to 140 personnel each." The peacekeepers are allowed to use force to protect civilians and humanitarian operations. UNAMID is the first joint UN/AU force and the largest peacekeeping mission.

As of December 2008, it had deployed 15,136 total uniformed personnel, including 12,194 troops, 175 military observers, and 2,767 police officers, who were supported by 786 international civilian personnel, 1,405 local civilian staff, and 266 UN volunteers.

On 22 December 2020, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2559 (2020) to end the UNAMID mandate on 31 December 2020, with full withdrawal to be completed by 30 June 2021.

Authorisation

Initial authorization for the mission was given by the UN Security Council in resolution 1769 of 31 July 2007. This resolution set the strength of the mission as "... up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, and an appropriate civilian component including up to 3,772 police personnel and 19 formed police units comprising up to 140 personnel each". The mission's authorisation was extended in essentially unchanged form for each of the following five years: UN Security Council resolution 1828 adopted on 31 July 2008, resolution 1881 on 30 July 2009, resolution 1935 on 30 July 2010, resolution 2003 on 29 July 2011, and resolution 2063 adopted on 31 July 2012.

Security Council resolution 2113 of 30 July 2013 extended the mandate of UNAMID for 13 months – to 31 August 2014 – but reduced the permitted force strength to 16,200 military personnel, 2,310 police personnel and 17 formed police units of up to 140 personnel. The following year saw the mandate extended once again to 30 June 2015 (Security Council resolution 2173 of 27 August 2014).

Security Council resolution 2228 of 29 June 2015 further reduced the force strength, to no more than 15,845 military personnel, 1,583 police personnel and 13 formed police units of up to 140 personnel each. This force authorisation was extended by another 12 months through Security Council resolution 2296 of 29 June 2016.

Withdrawal The Trump government of the United States argued for a reduction in UN peacekeeping budgets during the first half of 2017. Possibly arising from this, when the UNAMID mandate was renewed for a further 12 months by the UN Security Council on 29 June 2017, significant reductions in deployed personnel were announced. The approved Force strength was to be reduced in two stages. By the end of 2017 the authorized numbers of troops and police would be 11,395 and 2,888, respectively. To be further reduced by mid-2018 to 8,735 troops (eight battalions) and 2,500 police. Reductions in Mission civilian staff were planned to be 426 in Phase 1 (i.e. to 31 December 2017) and a further 147 positions lost in Phase 2 (i.e. to 30 June 2018).

Leadership and command

United Nations' missions come under a civilian Head of Mission, usually called the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General. UNAMID, as a joint mission, has a civilian head appointed by both the UN Secretary General and AU Commission Chairman. In October 2015 Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi (of Nigeria) was appointed as Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of UNAMID, succeeding Abiodun Oluremi Bashua (also of Nigeria).United Nations (2015) ‘Secretary-General, African Union Commission Chair Appoint Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi of Nigeria Joint Special Representative for Darfur’, UN press release SG/A/1600-BIO/4771-PKO/533, 27 October 2015, accessed 11 February 2017, <http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1600.doc.htm> On 3 April 2017 it was announced that Jeremiah Nyamane Kingsley Mamabolo of South Africa had been appointed as Joint Special Representative and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur.

Force Commanders No. Name Nationality From To Notes 1 Gen. Martin Luther AgwaiUnited Nations, 2007, 'The United Nations and Darfur: Fact Sheet', Peace and Security Section, United Nations Department of Public Information, accessed 24 January 2017, <http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/sudan/fact_sheet.pdf> 1 January 2008 31 August 2009 2 Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba'Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba of Rwanda to Serve as Force Commander for African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, from 1 September', United Nations media release, 24 July 2009, accessed 24 January 2017, <http://www.un.org/press/en/2009/sga1194.doc.htm> 1 September 2009 31 March 2013 3 Lt. Gen. Paul Ignace Mella'Lieutenant General Paul Ignace Mella of United Republic of Tanzania Appointed Force Commander of African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur', United Nations media release, 4 June 2013, accessed 24 January 2017, <http://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sga1410.doc.htm> 4 June 2013 31 December 2015 4 Lt. Gen. Frank Mushyo Kamanzi'Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of Rwanda Appointed Force Commander of African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur', United Nations media release, 14 December 2015, accessed 24 January 2017, <http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1618.doc.htm> 1 January 2016 On 6 April 2017 it was announced that General Kamanzi had been appointed Force Commander for UNMISS in South Sudan. 5 Maj. Gen. Fida Hussain Malik Mid-2017 Acting in the role. 6 Lt. Gen. Leonard Muriuki Ngondi August 2017 incumbent

Deputy Force Commanders No. Name Nationality From To 1 Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Karenzi Karake 1 January 2008'Rwandese Troops in Darfur Celebrate Rwanda Liberation Day', The New Times (Kigali), 8 July 2008. April 2009'General Karake leaving Darfur mission', Rwanda News Agency, 27 April 2009, accessed 13 August 2010 2 Maj. Gen. Duma Dumisani Mdutyana 31 May 2009 3 Maj. Gen. Wynjones KisambaWa Simbeye, F. & Saiboko, A., 'UN—Troops in Darfur Allowed to Return Fire', Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam), 17 July 2013. September 2011 2013'Biographical Note of Major General Wynjones Mathew Kisamba (Tanzania)', UNAMID website, accessed 24 January 2017, <https://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unamid/documents/bio_kisamba.pdf> 4 Maj. Gen. Balla Keita‘Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Balla Keïta of Senegal Force Commander of Mission in Central African Republic’, United Nations media release, 11 February 2016, accessed 25 January 2017, http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sga1636.doc.htm 2013 2015 5 Maj. Gen. Mohammad Maksudur Rahman October 2015'Bangladesh Army Maj Gen to be deputy force commander of UN peacekeepers in Darfur', bdnews24.com, 17 October 2015, accessed 2 April 2017, <http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/10/17/bangladesh-army-maj-gen-to-be-deputy-force-commander-of-un-peacekeepers-in-darfur> - 6 Maj. Gen. Fida Hussain Malik May 2017 incumbent

Structure

The USAF's 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron helped arrange airlift into Darfur for the 55th Battalion of the Rwandan Army to join UNAMID in 2007.

Sectors The preceding African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) was organised in a number of Sectors, each under the command of a Colonel. When UNAMID took over from AMIS some of these sectors were merged and Sectors became Brigadier's commands.Musoni, E., 'Darfur Peacekeepers Jet Out', The New Times (Kigali), 21 November 2007. Initially the Force was divided into three Sectors: Sector North (with headquarters at El Fasher) Sector West (El Geneina) Sector South (Nyala)

By mid-2015 a further two Sectors had been established: Sector Central (Zalingei) Sector East (Al Da’ ein)

Major units

A UNAMID map showing force deployment in December 2016 showed the force then comprised 14 infantry battalions (in addition to engineer, signals, medical and other support units). These battalions were deployed as follows (with changes to December 2017 noted, by when the Force was reduced to 11 battalions.):

Sector North El Fasher – Rwandan battalion (Rwanbatt 47 during 2016/17) Kabkabiya – Rwandan battalion (Rwanbatt 46 during 2016/17) Umm Barru – Senegalese battalion (reduced to two companies by December 2017) Kutum – Pakistani battalion (replaced by Senegalese by December 2017) Tawila – Ethiopian battalion

Sector West El Geneina – Indonesian battalion Forobaranga – Burkina Faso battalion (closed by December 2017, following departure of Burkina Faso contingent)

Sector Central Zalingei – Rwandan battalion (Rwanbatt 45 during 2016/17) Mukhjar – Ethiopian battalion

Sector South Nyala – Nigerian battalion (Nibatt 45 during 2016, replaced by Egyptian battalion by December 2017) Graida – Ethiopian battalion Edd al Fursan – Egyptian battalion (closed by December 2017) Khor Abeche – Tanzanian battalion Kass - Rwandan battalion

Sector East Al Da'ein – Pakistani battalion

Withdrawal During mid-2017 UN Security Council authorisation of the Mission imposed personnel reductions. The approved Force strength was to be reduced in two phases: Phase 1 levels to be reached by 31 December 2017 and Phase 2 reductions by 30 June 2018. Along with reductions in personnel UNAMID was to close eleven bases during Phase 1. During September four 'team sites' were closed and handed over to Sudanese Government officials: Mellit, Malha and Um Kadada in North Darfur and Muhajeria in East Darfur.'UNAMID denies “improper handover” of bases in North Darfur', Sudan Tribune (Paris), 11 September 2017, accessed 30 September 2017, <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article63480> During October another seven bases were closed: Abu Shouk, Tine, Habila Eid, Al Fursan (12 October), Tulus (15 October), Forobaranga (17 October) and, finally, Zam Zam (21 October).

Participants On 12 August 2007, Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the AU, announced that UNAMID was likely to be an all-African peacekeeping force. , the total number of personnel in the mission was 19,735:

CountryPoliceExpertsTroops 1258619 76416196 1 2 18412808 7182 4 3 14 233 22 6 151 245241,062 26162,549 156211 6508 158812 15641 216 12 22 5311312 580 72 21 14 9 59 44214 71 4 70 103 29718363 372142,573 120548 2446504 4 1428 212113,239 30019795 951011 16809 2 14 20821894 87 1407 2 67 79 4 204474 63125 62

Former contributors During March 2017 the Government of Burkina Faso announced its intention to withdraw its 850 troops from UNAMID, citing the increasing threat presented by radical jihadists it faced at home.'Burkina Faso pulls out of UNAMID in Darfur: FM', Sudan Tribune, 27 March 2017, accessed 21 April 2017, http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article62021

South Africa withdrew their troops from UNAMID from 1 April 2016 after nearly 12 years of deployments to Darfur. The first deployment of South African military observers to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) dating back to July 2004. A South African Government statement gave the reason for the recall of its troops as: "The Sudanese government made it increasingly difficult for us to provide logistic support to our troops, and impossible for our forces to protect the women and children of that country".'SA Withdraws Troops From Darfur', SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane), 11 May 2016.

Casualties UNAMID deaths by nationality : 37 : 30 : 26 : 25 : 16 : 14 : 13 : 13 : 8 : 8 : 7 : 6