AU-UN special representative tours Darfur refugee camps
August 19, 2007 (AL-FASHER) — Rodolphe Adada, the AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur took a tour of the IDP camps in the troubled western region.
“Help is on the way” Adada told displaced Darfurians at the Otash IDP camp near Nyala, South Darfur.
The U.N. Security Council on July 31 authorized a peacekeeping force for Darfur made up of 20,000 peacekeepers and 6,000 civilian police.
Adada called on the people of Darfur to work with the AU-UN Special Envoys, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim and Mr. Jan Eliasson by convincing non-signatory rebel groups to join the peace process.
The IDP’s conveyed to Adada their desire to see a rapid deployment of the UN-AU hybrid force.
Adada also addressed the African Union troops in the region and promised them that all salary arrears owed them will soon be paid.
International experts say an estimated 200,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict, which has displaced some 2.5 million people from their homes. Khartoum says only 9,000 people have died in the violence.
(ST)