A/HRC/36/63 45. In Adi Kong, in the Western Darfur State, the Independent Expert met with members of the local community, who remained anxious about the security situation in the area. They expressed the need for enhanced protection of the civilians by the authorities and the provision of basic services, including access to water, education and health care. It is essential for the Government, with the support of its international partners, to protect the rights of civilians effectively and in a sustainable manner. 46. The Independent Expert has on previous occasions raised concerns about the nonissuance of working visas for UNAMID human rights personnel, which undermines the ability of the Mission to implement its human rights mandate. Since December 2014, only one visa had been granted to a newly recruited human rights officer and 15 visas were pending. During the reporting period, visas for serving international human rights officers that had been pending renewal were only renewed for six months. 47. The Independent Expert reiterates his appeals to the Sudanese authorities to take the corrective measures necessary with a view to ensuring the continuity of the human rights mandate in Darfur. Neither the Mission’s mandate nor its role in the Darfur peace process can be achieved without greater focus and mainstreaming of human rights; human rights are central to peace processes, as evidenced in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, particularly those sections on human rights and fundamental freedoms, justice and reconciliation. 2. Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan 48. The Independent Expert visited Damazine, Blue Nile State, where he met with the State authorities, community leaders, representatives of United Nations agencies and civil society actors, who shared with him updated information in relation to the security, humanitarian and human rights situation. They expressed the need for technical assistance in the field of human rights. The Independent Expert encourages the Government of the Sudan and the international community to provide adequate means and resources to those community leaders and civil society actors, in order to strengthen their capacity to protect and promote human rights. 49. During his presence in Damazine, the Independent Expert had the opportunity to visit the Azaza camp, which is reportedly hosting more than 4,000 internally displaced persons, whose precarious conditions he was concerned by, and who expressed their willingness to return to their homeland if there was an improvement in the security situation. The Independent Expert calls on the Government of the Sudan and the international community to increase their assistance to internally displaced persons, and to work towards creating the conditions necessary for their return to their homeland. Furthermore, he strongly urges all parties to the conflict to respect international human rights and international humanitarian law and to facilitate access to the conflict affected areas for delivery of humanitarian assistance. 50. The Independent Expert was informed that State authorities and community leaders had established mechanisms and processes to facilitate reconciliation in the region. He welcomes the initiatives and would encourage the Sudanese authorities to work towards addressing the root causes of the conflict for a lasting peace in the region. 51. The Independent Expert continued to receive reports indicating that government forces and the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North had engaged in sporadic military attacks in Southern Kordofan State, despite the declared cessation of hostilities. In that regard, he received information about the attack that had taken place on 12 February 2017 in El Mashayesh, 35 kilometres west of Kadugli, an area reportedly heavily inhabited by the civilian population. The Independent Expert reiterates his call on both parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire and to refrain from violating human and humanitarian principles in their conduct of hostilities. 52. On a positive note, the United Nations entities and other partners reported some improvement in terms of access to areas previously inaccessible to carry out needs assessments and provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in need. In that context, since the beginning of 2017, humanitarian missions had been allowed to visit several locations in 9