Press Release/Commentary by UN Security Council posted on December 20, 2006 at 11:37:34: EST (-5 GMT)

Security Council calls for immediate deployment of United Nations support for African Union's Sudan Mission, incuding hybrid operation in Darfur Source: United Nations Security Council Date: 19 Dec 2006 SC/8912 - 5598th Meeting (PM) Reaffirming its deep concern about the worsening security situation in Darfur and its repercussions in the region, the Security Council today called on all parties to facilitate the immediate deployment of the United Nations Light and Heavy Support Package to the African Union Mission in the Sudan and a hybrid operation in Darfur, with backstopping and command and control structures provided by the United Nations. Through a statement readout by its President for December, Nassir Abdulazziz Al-Nasser (Qatar), the Council endorsed the conclusions of the 16 November Addis Ababa high-level consultation on the situation in Darfur and the communiqué of the sixty-sixth meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on 30 November in Abuja. It also welcomed the stated commitment of the Government of National Unity to the conclusions and the communiqué and requested that the Secretary-General keep the Council updated. Calling for the parties to implement without delay the conclusions and the communiqué, the Council stressed that a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Darfur lies in a comprehensive approach with the concerted efforts of all relevant parties, in accordance with the Darfur Peace Agreement. The meeting began at 4:22 p.m. and adjourned at 4:26 p.m. The full text of the statement, to be issued as document S/PRST/2006/55, reads as follows: "The Security Council endorses the conclusions of the Addis Ababa high-level consultation on the situation in Darfur of 16 November 2006 and the communiqué of the sixty-sixth meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, held in Abuja on 30 November 2006. The Security Council welcomes the stated commitment of the Government of National Unity to the conclusions and the communiqué. "The Security Council calls for the conclusions and the communiqué to be implemented by all parties without delay and, to this end, calls on all parties to facilitate, per the Addis Ababa and Abuja agreements, the immediate deployment of the United Nations' Light and Heavy Support Packages to the African Union Mission in the Sudan and a hybrid operation in Darfur, for which backstopping and command and control structures and systems will be provided by the United Nations. The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council updated. "The Security Council reaffirms its deep concern about the worsening security situation in Darfur and its repercussions in the region. It stresses that a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Darfur lies in a comprehensive approach with the concerted efforts of all relevant parties, in accordance with the Darfur Peace Agreement, and will contribute to restoring security and stability in the region."