African security body urges swift deployment of Darfur force
October 2, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — African Peace and Security body has called today for the swift deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force to strengthen the volatile security in Sudan’s Darfur region.
In a meeting held today, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union urged the AU Commission, in close collaboration with the United Nations, to expedite the deployment of the AU-UN Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), with enhanced capacity and strength in order to stabilize the security situation on the ground in Darfur.
The council also expressed “its outrage and condemned, in the strongest terms, this heinous and cowardly act perpetrated by unidentified elements who are bent on undermining the peace process and further complicate the situation in Darfur.” Said a press statement.
At least 10 AU soldiers were killed and another 40 went missing in Sunday’s fighting which lasted several hours and involved hundreds of men.
The attack on an AU camp in south Darfur was the deadliest since the AU peacekeepers were first deployed in 2004 in response to the devastation wrought by the Khartoum government’s ruthless counter-insurgency campaign.
The council encouraged the Commission to undertake, jointly with the United Nations, a thorough investigation of these incidents, with a view to identifying the culprits. Such an investigation should also cover earlier incidents of attacks against AMIS.
Council requested that the result of such an investigation be brought to its attention to enable it take all necessary measures, including sanctions against the leaders of the groups that perpetrated the attack. In the meantime, the Au security boday further took note of indications provided by AMIS regarding the group which carried out the attacks.
It also stressed the urgent need to bring the culprits to international justice. Council also stressed the need for necessary lessons to be drawn from these incidents, including the strengthening of the peace keeping operation in Darfur, with a robust posture.
(ST)
Samson Liberty
African security body urges swift deployment of Darfur force
When the AMIS strong force of 7,000 with inadequate logistic supply,in war torn region of Darfur/Sudan now deserves protection themselves instead of protecting the suffering people of Darfur,in return they now receives more pain than could be expected.Now the African Security Body (ASB)AU is accelerating in high speed the deployment of the agreed 26,000 AU-UN Hybrid operation in the difficult Darfur and a momentum to reach Peace talks in Libya soon,is World’s most crucial agenda.The reflection was that the image of AU forces in Darfur is fading out in the eyes of the Darfuri,I beleive their hope is something more than the presences of AU forces in tackling grave issues.Early this year the AL Qaeda leadership had cautioned over Somalia and just last month the same over Darfur,don’t you think that warning trigered should’nt be eminent?