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Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Volume 472: debated on Thursday 6 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the capability of the UK armed forces to (a) participate and (b) assist in the African Union/United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. (192636)

The United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is a hybrid mission, which succeeded the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). As such it was agreed on creation that the majority of its units would be from the African Union. Furthermore, due to our heavy commitments elsewhere, the MOD is not in a position to offer, or contribute, force elements or enablers to a United Nations mission in Sudan.

However, the UK has provided several staff officers who are holding key positions in the UNAMID HQ in Sudan in order to increase the mission's capacity to deploy and operate effectively in Darfur. The UK Government are also working to support this Mission by helping troop contributing countries with the provision of equipment and training packages.