Egeland urges support for AU mission in Darfur
May 7, 2006 (NAIROBI) — United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland on Sunday called for the strengthening of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in Sudan’s strife-torn region of Darfur ahead of a planned deployment of a UN mssion the region, where conditions among civilians displaced by conflict have deteriorated as violence escalated.
“We need a real strengthening of the AU force in the interim period,” Egeland said after visiting the town of Gereida in South Darfur. The pan-African body on 10 March extended the mandate of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) until 30 September, after which it would transfer the operation to the UN.
The Sudanese government has been reluctant to allow the deployment of UN troops in its territory.
Egeland’s visit to Darfur came two days after the largest of Darfur’s three rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), bowed to international pressure and agreed “with reservations” to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government following protracted peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Two smaller groups have refused to sign the peace deal, demanding more concessions from Khartoum.
The UN humanitarian coordinator said the signing of the peace pact in Abuja on Friday as a welcome development and a “sign a hope”. “We have turned the corner (…) The alternative [to the peace deal] would have been unimaginable,” said Egeland. “What the international communitiy needs now is to help enforce the ageement so that spoiler elements do not undermine it,” Egeland told IRIN. The agreement was the the first “solid hope” for the people of Darfur since the conflict erupted in early 2003, Egeland said.
He expressed the hope that the rebel groups that have not signed the peace agreement would soon come on board.
Life for civilians in Darfur hasbeen “horrendous” in the recent past, as violence escalalated hindering efforts by humanitarian workers to reach those affected by the conflict.
Egeland said he had been “very impressed by the heroic efforts” of the humanitarian workers in Darfur, and appealed to the international community to make more resources available for relief work and the peace and reconciliation efforts that might follow the signing of the peace deal.
He also met with representatives of the SLM/A faction that signed the peace pact in Abuja and told them they must now stop all violence.
He described Gereida, where 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPS) are gathered, as the “epicentre of the severe humanitarian situation” and lauded the efforts of the 200 AU peacekeepers in the town, whom he said had done a good job despite a dearth of resources.
Egeland also spent some time with a group of IDPs in Gereida, including recently displaced widows who fled their homes with nothing.
He had talks with the deputy governor of South Darfur in the town of Nyala during which he insisted that aid workers must be given unlimited access to those affected by the conclict, as provided for the Abuaja peace deal.
Humanitarian workers had last week expressed fears that Gereida might come under siege following a series of attacks on rebel-controlled villages in South Darfur. Leaders in displaced communities said more than 300 villages around Gereida have been abandoned because of the threat of attack since November 2005.
According to United Nations sources, on 24 April, the Sudanese government used an Antonov plane and two helicopter gunships to attack the rebel-controlled village of Joghana, southeast of Gereida, which displaced an additional 25,000 people. Earlier, on 16 April, government forces attacked and retook the rebel-controlled town of Donkey Dreisa, 50 km north of Gereida. On 21 April, Janjawid militia and government forces jointly attacked Dito town, 25km northeast of Gereida. The attacks have exacerbated the already dire situation for many civilians across Darfur.
Interfactional skirmishes have also complicated the situation. Fighting between two SLA factions escalated near Shangil Tobayi and Tawilla in North Darfur during the second half of April, displacing thousands.
The UN estimates that some 3.6 million people are affected by conflict in Darfur, of whom 1.8 million are internally displaced and 200,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad. More than 200,000 people have been killed as a result of violence between the Sudanese government and rebel movements.
The rebels accuse Khartoum of neglect and oppression of the people of Darfur and of sponsoring violent attacks by a militia group, the Janjawid on civilians, including women and children. Khartoum denies the allegations.
(IRIN)