Two New Zealanders to join UN Sudan mission

WELLINGTON, May 16, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — New Zealand will contribute two military observers to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan, Foreign Minister Phil Goff and Defence Minister Mark Burton announced today.

“Two New Zealand Defence Force officers will begin observer roles next month on a one-year deployment. A third officer may deploy later in the year as part of the mission’s headquarters staff in southern Sudan.

“Our observers will be working alongside personnel from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Egypt. They will be a distinctive New Zealand commitment to a high-profile mission aimed a resolving a long-standing conflict that has had tragic humanitarian consequences,” Mr Burton said.

According to the New Zealand government web site, Mr Goff said a UN resolution in March had established the peacekeeping mission, which will support the comprehensive peace agreement signed between warring Sudanese parties in January.

“New Zealand’s recognition of the plight of people in Darfur has seen the government contribute 4m dollars (approx 2.8m US) directly to humanitarian relief efforts there in the last year.

“In June 2004, at the outset of the crisis, we contributed 2m dollars to the UN consolidated appeal for humanitarian relief efforts and 500,000 dollars each to New Zealand Red Cross, in support of International Red Cross activities in Sudan, and to Medecins sans Frontieres.

A further 1m dollars has been provided in support of New Zealand NGOs working in Darfur, western Sudan and in neighbouring countries. New Zealand, through its international aid agency NZAID, continues to contribute to agencies working in the area. It recently gave 1.3m dollars to the World Food Programme, which is likely to be spent on assisting refugees in Sudan.