Community policing centre begins 24-hour watch near North Darfur camps

February 23, 2009 (ELFASHER) – Unarmed community policing patrols began Sunday night near two displaced persons camps in North Darfur at a new outpost constructed by the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur (UNAMID).

The new community policing centre was constructed between Abu Shouk and El Salaam camps, where tens of thousands of Darfuri civilians live. The CPC was erected by UNAMID police advisers, members of the Mission’s Egyptian engineering contingent and Mission support staff.

A senior UNAMID official, Deputy Joint Special Representative Henry Anyidoho, today visited the police post. “With this, the people will have some sense of security,” he said after inspecting the outpost with UNAMID Police Commissioner Micheal Fryer.

Anyidoho also toured Zamzam camp and met with umdahs, women and youth community representatives, as well as some of the thousands of new arrivals who have recently fled from fighting around Muhageria in South Darfur.

Another interim community policing centre will begin to undergo construction within the next two weeks near Zamzam, a separate IDP camp.

(ST)