The African Union—United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID): Mission Accomplished?

P. 301–315.

Sergey V. Kostelyanets

In April 2019, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir was deposed in a military coup d'état, which paved the way for a reconciliation between the Government of Sudan and Darfur's rebel movements. After 13 years in Sudan, the African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) ended its mandate on 31 December 2020 and withdrew completely by 30 June 2021. The present chapter seeks to examine UNAMID as an original model of peacekeeping, assess the results of its mission, and draw lessons learned from its experience. The paper investigates the political context that accompanied the establishment of UNAMID, the accomplishments and milestones of the operation's mandate, as well as the circumstances at its terminal stage.

Methodologically, the study draws on primary (UN, AU, MFA) and secondary (scholarly and media) sources to identify and analyze fundamental processes and forces of change within the overarching paradigms of International Relations and Conflict Resolution. In particular, the paper relies on the concept of the “triangular area of tension”, which denotes the divergence between the ambitions and capacity of an international organization and the interests of its member-states, to compare UNAMID with AU- and UN-led alternatives. The author argues that despite various setbacks of UNAMID, the model of hybrid missions in the area of international conflict resolution may be followed again, including in Africa. The lessons learned from UNAMID may help avoid mistakes in the course of future peacekeeping missions.

Keywords: Судан, разрешение конфликтов, Sudan, Дарфур, conflict resolution, Darfur, UNAMID, ЮНАМИД

Publication based on the results of: Socio-cultural Evolution: Development of the Theory at the Intersection of History and Anthropology (2023)

In book

Africa and the Formation of the New System of International Relations—Vol. II Beyond Summit Diplomacy: Cooperation with Africa in the Post-pandemic World

Vasiliev Alexey M., Degterev Denis A., Shaw T., Adar K., Mine Y., Borzova Alla Yu., Mangue C. ., Gonondo J., Mwencha P., Sitawa C., Socrates M., Kaaria J., Kihiu E., Morgunova-Petrunko Oxana A., Muntschick J., Dipama S., Dal E., Zabella A., Eyrice-Tepeciklioğlu E., Özkan M., Orakçı S., Janzen J., Deych T., Kulkova O., Volodin A., Attuquayefio P., Mensa-Bonsu H., Kostelyanets Sergey V., Bokeriya S., Shipilov Alexander Yu., Loshkariov I., Ivkina N., Bassey C., Amuhaya Claire Ayuma Vol. II: Beyond Summit Diplomacy: Cooperation with Africa in the Post-pandemic World. , Cham: Springer, 2023.