189 police advisors arrive in Darfur to reinforce UNAMID

October 2, 2008 (EL FASHER) – The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has just welcomed 189 new police advisors from twelve countries, according to a UNAMID spokesman, bringing the total number of UNAMID police advisors to 1,877, out of a mandated strength of 3,772

These latest arrivals come from Malaysia, Malawi, Jordan, Yemen, Pakistan, Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh, Turkey, Senegal, El Salvador and South Africa. The new contingent includes 17 female officers.

UNAMID police advisors conduct patrols in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps and train community policing volunteers in the camps. The advisors monitor investigations into gender based violence cases and support to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to IDPs in Darfur.

The advisors also focus on capacity-building for the Government of Sudan police and other parties to the Darfur conflict, to enable them to operate according to internationally accepted standards of policing. UNAMID police advisors on Sept. 23 conducted for the first time a training workshop on security coordination for senior- and medium-level officers from various Sudanese government security forces.

Many IDP camps in Darfur are generally insecure, and residents face indiscriminate killings or rapes; IDP leaders from Abu Shouk and El-Salam camps requested again on Sept. 22 that UNAMID forces be deployed on a 24-hour basis.

Additional UNAMID deployments are expected soon.

(ST)