Darfur peacekeepers have new approach to protect civilians – Gambari
February 16, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The head of the first joint UN-African Union force and the largest peacekeeping mission announced that a new approach on movement and access has been adopted to better protect civilians in the restive region of Darfur.
Ibrahim Gambari made the announcement on Wednesday in a press conference held in Khartoum two weeks after severe remarks by U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice on 26 January over the performance of UNAMID to discharge its mandate in the war ravaged region.
“We have adopted a new approach on movement and access. I am happy to note that on this issue of the new approach, the Government of Sudan has shown a commendable willingness to cooperate with us in ensuring that we have the required access and freedom of movement to implement our mandate,” he said.
Gambari emphasized that the peacekeepers will not wait any clearance from the Sudanese authorities to gain access to desired locations but they have only to inform the government of their “movement plans for coordination purposes”.
“While UNAMID is happy to receive government’s security advisories for these movements, the final decision would rest with UNAMID,” he further said.
Gambari disclosed his plans in a briefing via video conference to the UN Security Council on 26 January saying the restrictions imposed by the Sudanese army represent a challenge to the UNAMID as well as a hindrance to the humanitarian agencies to access to the zones of recent fighting.
Last month, Rice said she welcomed the decision to let Sudanese rebel and government forces know that UNAMID would not be asking for their permission when seeking access to areas in Darfur. But she said the approach needed to be consistently applied.
“This has to be consistent,” she said. “It has to be uniform. It’s not subject to negotiation.”
The U.S. diplomat said that UNAMID military troops are “very ably led by the force commander” — General Patrick Nyamvumba of Rwanda but she declined bestow a similar compliment on Gambari.
Gambari told reporters today that the Sudanese government recognized UNAMID’s right to move freely without any restrictions.
However he added “I have requested for written guarantees to this effect and when received, UNAMID may present this to GoS security personnel in field locations where these restrictions usually occur.”
He also said 90 percent of the peacekeepers and 74 percent of the police are now deployed in Darfur. He also disclosed that the tactical helicopters have the permission to fly after long negotiations with the Sudanese officials nonetheless he said they are still short of utility helicopters.
The 26,000-member UNAMID force initially needs 24 helicopters including 18 transport and six tactical helicopters to operate effectively across the Darfur region, which is as big as France, and to move the supplies and equipment necessary to carry out its mandate.
Ethiopia provided the mission with five tactical Mi-35P helicopters in February 2010. Also at time the mission said still did not get the 18 utility helicopters it needed.
(ST)
DASODIKO
Darfur peacekeepers have new approach to protect civilians – Gambari
Amid Sudan’s Darfur Crackdown, UN Has No Comment, Partners with Bashir Gov’t
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 15 — With a dozen doctors arrested in Darfur, and food distribution reportedly stopped to internally displaced persons camps, the UN and its mission under Ibrahim Gambari have had nothing to say.
The UN spends $1 billion a year in Darfur, and Ban Ki-moon said it was one of his top priorities when he became Secretary General. What happened?
On February 10, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman:
There were reports that in the IDP [internally displaced persons] camps, including Hamadiya and Zalengei, that there is no, that food is no longer being distributed by WFP [World Food Program] and the people inside the camp say that this was an attempt by the Government to disassemble the camps in this visit of this guy, Ghazi Salaheddine, who is in charge of the Darfur file for the Khartoum Government. First off, was the UN, is it a fact that food services in this IDP camp have stopped, and what is the UN going to do about it?
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, let’s ask our colleagues from the World Food Program to let us know what the picture is there. And obviously, it is a clear priority for the United Nations to ensure that aid can be delivered to those people who need it.
Nesirky cut to another question, until Inner City Press was again called on:
Inner City Press: I actually had a follow-up. This guy, Ghazi Salaheddine, the Government Minister for Darfur, held a joint press conference with Ibrahim Gambari in which they announced a partnership, and Mr. Gambari said he was very positive. So what I was, I guess, trying to say is that people in Darfur say it was the visit of this minister that led to this suspension of services to IDPs. I wanted, I guess, some explanation of what it is that Mr. Gambari is finding so positive in the visit of this minister, the announced intention to “Darfurize” the peace process, which most people in the IDP camps are protesting. What… how do you explain Mr. Gambari’s positive statements in light of the reports of continued fighting, bombing and dislocation?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I’d like to take a closer look at precisely what Mr. Gambari said, firstly, and secondly, as I already mentioned to you, I am sure our colleagues from the World Food Programme can give us some details on precisely what is happening on the ground. What other question did you have?
The next day February 11, still without any answer on the IDP camps, Inner City Press asked:
Inner City Press: It’s reported that 12 staff members of Médecins du Monde have been arrested in Sudan, in Darfur, in Nyala, by the Government. I wanted to know, it is actually said that some others are now in hiding at the OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] compound there. I am wondering if the… what the UN can say about this, about the Government locking up doctors for serving the Jebel Marra area?
DASODIKO
Darfur peacekeepers have new approach to protect civilians – Gambari
The message of Ibrahim Gambari is very clear here: He want UNAMID to become a unit of Sudan security forces. The question who is benefiting of keeping Gambari on this position?