Accepting the UN? Khartoum’s actions contradict its words
Aegis Trust
Media release
November 17, 2006 — Aegis welcomes the Sudanese Government’s acceptance of a hybrid AU-UN force in Darfur but warns this is only the first step on a long road to establishing security in Darfur and the surrounding region.
“It is a positive step but there is a long way to go.” says Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust. “Even as the agreement was being reached the Sudanese Government stopped the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Jan Egeland, from visiting IDP camps and the state-run media reported that the International Organisation for Migration would be expelled from South Darfur. Khartoum seems no more serious about protecting civilians than it has ever been.”
Sudan’s has only agreed to a UN presence in Darfur is an agreement only in principle but commanders in Sudan’s armed forces told Aegis in late October that they would unreservedly welcome a UN force into the region. During interviews conducted with a Sudanese commander injured in a rebel attack, now in hospital in Chad, Aegis was told, “A UN force would be perfect and very welcome. I didn’t know the President opposed the UN. If violence continues it is not a good thing.”
“The next steps taken by the African Union and the UN Security Council needs to reflect that this is a regional crisis. In the last two weeks UNHCR received reports that at least 23 villages in Chad have been attacked and 20 other villages have been abandoned by civilians fearing attacks to be imminent,” Dr James Smith stated, “Genocide in Rwanda led to years of instability across the Great Lakes region resulting in millions of deaths. This lesson must be applied. To prevent conflict de-stabilising Chad, the Central African Republic and Niger, a UN mission must deploy to Chad as well as Darfur. Insecurity in Chad will cut arterial routes to Darfur crucial to the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
The Aegis Trust for genocide prevention helped organise the Global Day for Darfur on 17 September 2006 and is involved in organising a further day of action for Darfur on 10 December 2006. The Day will focus in particular on the systematic use of rape during ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
– Contact Media Officer David Brown, mobile: 07812 640873, email: [email protected], office: 01623 836627