HRW calls to keep protection forces in Sudan’s Drfur

March 17, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called to maintain the protection force deployed in the Darfur region saying that civilians do not trust the Sudanese government troops despite the regime change in Sudan.

The Security Council on Tuesday, March 17, will discuss a joint proposal by the UN secretary-general and the AU commission chairperson providing to exclude “physical protection” of civilians from the mandate for a follow-on political and peacebuilding mission in Sudan.

“When authorizing a new countrywide mission for Sudan, the Security Council should include armed police units that could protect civilians, quick reaction peacekeepers to respond to threats as they arise, and mobile human rights monitoring teams based in Darfur,” Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch said the UN Security Council should recognize that Darfur is not like the rest of Sudan and set up a gradual withdrawal plan that keeps a UN security presence on the ground.

“Past and ongoing violence there means civilians can’t trust Sudanese security forces alone and still look to peacekeepers for protection,” stressed Roth.

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok in October 2019 requested to align the UNAMID drawdown from the war-ravaged Darfur region with the ongoing peace process in the country.

Further, in January 2020, asked to “establish, as soon as possible, a Chapter VI peace support operation in the form of a special political mission with a strong peacebuilding component”.

The UNAMID will close its last 14 bases and withdraw all its remaining 4,040 military personnel and 2,500 police by October 31.

The joint proposal set out in the secretary-general’s report suggests some individual police advisers to train and support the Sudanese authorities.

The advisers should work with “Sudanese police forces, community policing volunteers, the Women’s Protection Networks, and other partners,” says the proposal.

Following the collapse of the former regime armed me from Arab tribes attacked the IDPs camps out of El Geneina, while fighting took place between rival armed groups in Kalma camp.

Also, dozens of people were killed as a result of inter-communal violence when Arab nomad attacked a Zaghawa village in Hijir Tonjur area.

(ST)