Displaced cheer UN chief on Darfur visit
September 5, 2007 (AL-SALAM CAMP, North Darfur) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked and humbled” by a visit to a Darfur refugee camp, where thousands cheered him as he pledged to step up efforts to bring peace to the war-torn region.
But the enthusiastic welcome from refugees at the Al Salaam camp on Wednesday was tempered by the earlier disruption of a meeting at a U.N. compound with representatives from three camps that heightened security fears, and by a small protest by well-dressed women shouting against the upcoming deployment of U.N. troops in a new 26,000-strong peacekeeping force in Darfur.
The secretary-general brushed aside the protests, saying he understands the frustrations of the millions uprooted from their homes, and he pointed to the huge crowds that had come to see him in Darfur and in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on his first trip to the country since taking the reins of the United Nations on Jan.1.
“They really wanted to see some hope from me, from the United Nations, from the international community,” he said.
But Wednesday’s incidents had an impact. Ban met with only three of the 30 camp representatives, his scheduled one-hour visit to Al Salaam was cut to 20 minutes, and the media pool accompanying him was cut from 37 to 5 because of security concerns.
As Ban’s convoy rolled into the camp, home to 46,000 Darfur refugees, thousands chanted “Welcome! Welcome Ban Ki-moon!”
“I am here to bring you the message of hope, peace and security, and water,” Ban told the crowd.
“We must bring peace and development. We must protect human rights. We must help all of you return to your homes and lands.”
Later, he told reporters: “I was so shocked and humbled when I visited IDP (internally displaced people) camps. I was shocked at the poverty and hardship all these tens of thousands of people were undergoing.”
Ban promised to step up efforts to end the protracted conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people and left more than 2.5 million displaced, and he urged the world to be more sympathetic to the millions whose lives have been uprooted.
“I really urge the international community to help them return to their homes and land, give them a sense of security and bring peace as soon as possible. We must bring enduring peace, durable peace and security here,” he said.
Ban said he would raises these issues, and the protest, during a second round of talks Thursday with Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir.
The scene at the camp contrasted with Ban’s visit earlier Wednesday to the U.N. compound in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Most of the refugees who greeted Ban appeared to be supporters of the founder of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, Abdelwahid Mohamed al-Nur, who remains the key holdout in getting all rebel groups and the government back to the negotiating table.
African Union troops held back the crowds who waved banners bearing Abdelwahid’s portrait and the messages: “No violence in the camps” and “Disarm the Janjaweed”, referring to the popular name for militias blamed for much of the violence in Darfur.
At every opportunity, the secretary-general stressed the importance of reaching a political settlement and deploying the AU-U.N. hybrid force quickly.
He said the planned deployment of the hybrid force was now on a “good track” and “it is crucially important that a political negotiation process start now.”
Ban said he will shortly announce the venue and date for new negotiations, likely in October.
He said security was improving, but he told reporters there still is not full security and peace in Darfur so “we must continue to protect (the displaced) and provide the security,” especially in the camps.
Throughout the day, there was wide speculation that Ban’s trip to the camp would be called off because of security concerns. Two Sudanese journalists received calls from people in Khartoum who said violent clashes had broken out at Al Salaam camp.
The secretary-general’s brief visit to the Al Salaam camp went ahead later than scheduled under tight security, and there were no signs of violence.
But U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said there were reports of some violent clashes afterwards, though she had no details.
(AP/Reuters)