Eng. / Fr.

NATO's assistance
to the African Union for Darfur

How did it evolve?

On 26 April 2005, the African Union asked NATO to consider the possibility of providing logistical support to help expand its peace-support mission in Darfur. In May 2005, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré, visited NATO Headquarters – the first ever visit of an AU official to NATO HQ – to provide details of the assistance request. The next day, the North Atlantic Council tasked the Alliance’s military authorities to provide, as a matter of urgency, advice on possible NATO support.

Following further consultations with the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, in June 2005, NATO formally agreed to provide airlift support as well as training. The first planes carrying African Union peacekeepers took off on 1 July of the same year. Training of AU officers started on 1 August and, a few days later, the North Atlantic Council agreed to assist in the transport of police to Darfur.

Key Milestones

26 Apr. 2005 The African Union requests, by letter, NATO assistance in the expansion of its peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
17 May 2005 The Chairman of the AU Commission, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré, is the first AU official to visit NATO HQ
18 May 2005 The NAC agrees to task the Alliance’s military authorities to provide advice on possible NATO assistance.
24 May 2005 The NAC agrees on initial military options for possible NATO support.
26 May 2005 NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer participates in a meeting in Addis Ababa on international support to the African Union’s mission.
8 June 2005 NATO agrees on the detailed modalities of Alliance support.
9 June 2005 Alliance Defence Minister formally announced the decision to assist the African Union peace support operation in Darfur with the coordination of strategic airlift and staff capacity-building.
1 July 2005 The NATO airlift begins.
1 August 2005 NATO training of AU officers begins.
5 August 2005 On the request of the African Union, the NAC agrees to assist in the transport of civilian police to Darfur.
18-27 August 2005 NATO provides support to an UN-led map exercise to help AU personnel operate effectively in the theatre of operations and develop their capacity to manage strategic operations.
21 September 2005 The NAC agrees to extend the duration of NATO’s airlift support for the remaining peacekeeping reinforcements until 31 October 2005.
9 November 2005 The NAC agrees to extend NATO’s coordination of strategic airlift by two months, until end May 2006, in view of the African Union’s troop rotation schedule.
29 March 2006 Following a phone call from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 27 March, the NAC announces its readiness to continue NATO’s current mission. The NAC tasks NATO military authorities to offer advice for possible NATO support to an anticipated follow-on UN mission in Darfur.
13 April 2006 The NAC announces its readiness to continue NATO’s current mission until 30 September.
5 May 2006 Two parties sign the Darfur Peace Agreement.
30 May 2006 UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Jan Egeland, visits NATO HQ to discuss Darfur and the role of the military in disaster relief.
2 June 2006 The Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré, requests the extension of NATO’s airlift and training support, as well as additional forms of assistance.
7 June 2006 The NAC decides to extend NATO’s assistance to AMIS until the end of 2006.
8 June 2006 Defence Ministers state NATO’s willingness to expand its training assistance to AMIS in the fields of Joint Operations Centres, pre-deployment certification and lessons learned. They also state the Alliance's willingness to consider support to an anticipated follow-on UN mission. The coordination of strategic airlift is extended until the end of 2006.
16 Nov.2006 Addis Ababa meeting introduces the notion of an AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping mission.
28-29 Nov.2006 At the Riga Summit, NATO reaffirms its support to the African Union and its willingness to broaden this support. It also reiterates its commitment to coordinating with other international actors.
14 Dec.2006 NATO decides to extend its support mission for six additional months.
15 Dec. 2006 US Special Envoy to Darfur, Ambassador Andrew Natsios, meets NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, at NATO HQ.
15 Jan.2007 NATO agrees to provide staff capacity-training at the AU Mission HQ in Khartoum, in addition to training provided in El Fasher and Addis Ababa.
14 June 2007 NATO Defence Ministers reiterate the Alliance’s commitment to Darfur and welcome the agreement of the Sudanese Government to an UN-AU hybrid mission in Darfur.
6-7 Dec. 2007 NATO Foreign Ministers express readiness to continue Alliance support to the African Union in Darfur, following consultation and agreement with the United Nations and the African Union.