I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 6 of Security Council resolution 1769 (2007), by which the Council requested me to report every 30 days on the implementation of paragraph 5 of the resolution, which sets the following benchmarks for the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID):
(a) No later than October 2007, UNAMID shall establish an initial operating capability for its headquarters and establish financial arrangements to cover troop costs for all personnel deployed to the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS);
(b) As at October 2007, UNAMID shall have completed preparations to assume operational command authority over the light support package, personnel currently deployed to AMIS and heavy support package and hybrid personnel by the date of transfer of authority;
(c) No later than 31 December 2007, UNAMID shall assume authority from AMIS. The report covers steps taken towards those goals during August 2007.
II. Headquarters operating capability
2. The Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, his Deputy, Henry Anyidoho and the Force Commander of UNAMID, Major General Martin Luther Agwai, have already deployed to the Sudan. Priority recruitments have been identified and shortlists have been generated for other critical senior personnel of UNAMID, such as the Chief of Staff and crucial support personnel. Construction work is ongoing in El Fasher for office and living accommodations for the Joint Special Representative, including required voice and data communications equipment.
III. African Union Mission in the Sudan and United Nations support
3. Donor-funded construction work has commenced on the expansion of the seven AMIS camps required for the deployment of two additional AMIS battalions. The first troops of the two battalions, from Nigeria and Rwanda, are expected to deploy during the AMIS rotation of troops in October.
4. The deployment by the United Nations of the light support package for AMIS to the Sudan is nearing completion. Light support package staff officers are providing support in setting up key functions, such as the Joint Operations Centre, the Joint Mission Analysis Centre and the Joint Logistics Centre, as well as relieving AMIS military observers from staff functions at headquarters. Light support package civilian staff are supporting AMIS in various areas, such as public information, legal affairs, humanitarian affairs, civil affairs, logistics and administration. All logistical support, with the exception of 36 armoured personnel carriers, has arrived in the mission area. The remaining armoured personnel carriers are expected to arrive together with elements of the two additional AMIS battalions in October.
5. The implementation of the heavy support package for AMIS is ongoing, together with efforts to establish a temporary (transitional) force headquarters and to restructure AMIS from its current eight sectors to three. As at the time of writing, 35 per cent of heavy support package civilian personnel had been deployed and three formed police units and 250 of the 301 individual police officers in the heavy support package had been selected. Most reconnaissance visits for the military units and formed police units of the heavy support package had also been completed.