Sudanese government says UNMIS term ends on July 9

The Sudanese government on Sunday reiterated that it has the final say on whether or not should the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) stay within the country, official SUNA news agency reported.

A United Nations spokesperson on Sunday stated that the decision on whether or not must UNMIS remain in Sudan was a decision for the U.N. Security Council.

"The selection on no matter if to end or preserve the term of UNMIS could be the decision of the Sudanese government and not any other trend. The UN mission need to get ready to pack up just before the end of the transitional period on July 9," SUNA quoted Khalid Musa, spokesman for the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying.

"The deployment with the UN troops was on consent of the Sudanese government inside the initially place and in accordance together with the principles of its national sovereignty and leading national interests. Consequently, the choice to enable these troops to keep till July 9 comes as component from the government's fulfillment of its commitments toward the peace course of action and the agreement signed with the UN in this respect," he added.

Khartoum on Saturday formally notified the United Nations that presence of UNMIS within the nation would finish on July 9, 2011. The UNMIS was established in Sudan in accordance together with the UN Security Council Resolution 1590 issued on March 24, 2005.

In accordance with the resolution, UNMIS was tasked to monitor and verify the implementation from the Ceasefire Agreement and to investigate violations; to liaise with bilateral donors on the formation of Joint Integrated Units and to observe and monitor movement of armed groups and redeployment of forces within the places of UNMIS deployment in accordance using the Ceasefire Agreement besides other tasks.

The UNMIS mandated was set to finish by the finish of the CPA, i.e. July 9, 2011, when south Sudan would officially declare independent.

Khartoum insisted that UNMIS mandate should finish as scheduled, though south Sudan demanded the mission peacekeepers to stay within its territories. UNMIS deployed around ten,592 peacekeepers which includes 9,451 soldiers, 486 military observers and 655 police officers.

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