The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan (AUHIP) was mandated for one year as an independent body by the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) on October 29, 2009. The mandate occurred following the PSC’s adoption of the report from the African Union High-Level Panel for Darfur (AUPD) on that same day. It was chaired by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya, and former Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubaker. The PSC renewed the panel’s mandate for an additional year in 2010, 2011, and 2012. On October 24, 2012 the panel was renamed to the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan. The AUHIP’s mandate was to assist with the implementation of the AUPD’s recommendations and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The panel’s mandate was to facilitate the Sudanese parties in their implementation of the CPA and the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). These efforts included supporting preparation for the April 2010 general election in Sudan, preparing for the Southern Sudan referendum in January 2011, and facilitating the post-referendum and post-secession negotiations between northern and southern Sudan. Some of the issues that required additional negotiation were borders, the Abyei area, security, citizenship, oil, currency and finance, debts and assets, and the two areas of South Kordofon State and Blue Nile State.