UNAMID to send assessment team to Darfur’s Korma on Tuesday

September 21, 2009 (PARIS) — Darfur hybrid mission is keeping efforts to assess the security and humanitarian situation in Korma, near Jebel Marra where some 18 civilians were killed during the last week attacks.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) released yesterday a statement saying it cleared the area of Korma, 70 kilometers northwest of El-Fashir, from the rebel of Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al Nur (SLM-AW). However the rebels dismissed the government army statements saying they repelled the attack.

The internally displaced persons spoke about the bad humanitarian situation saying they informed the UNAMID of the situation and urged its humanitarian assistance to over 5000 displaced people affected by the attacks.

“A patrol scheduled for 20 September was cancelled due to the lack of security guarantees from both Government of Sudan and SLA/AW. Attempts are underway to dispatch a patrol to Korma tomorrow, 22 September,” said UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni.

Mezni, who was asked by Sudan Tribune about the efforts of UNAMID to relief the IPDs, reiterated the concern of the Mission regarding the conditions of civilians after Thursday and Friday fighting.

“Our mandate is basically to provide protection to them under this kind of situation and we hope that all parties will cooperate with us and facilitate our duty,” he stressed.

He went further to explain that they had attempted to send an investigative patrol to Korma on 18 September, but was informed by SLA/AW that fighting was ongoing and that it was not safe.

“A follow-up patrol the next day, 19 September, stopped 15km away from Korma, at Dirma village, and did not proceed following advice from the Sudanese government that security could not be guaranteed.”

The renewed fighting in Darfur comes after statements by UNAMID officials saying the war in Darfur is largely over. Mezni warned that if the root causes of the conflict are not addressed, however, the violence could flare up once more.

“This is the case for Korma,” he added.

According to the United Nations reports, around 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million fled their homes since rebels in Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003. However, the government says only 10,000 people have been killed.

(ST)