UNAMID effectiveness questioned as mandate renewal nears

July 21, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – A number of international NGO’s have criticized the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) saying its mandate is too weak to make a difference for the civilian population.

The UNAMID mandate expires at the end of July and is to be extended by the AU and UN later this month.

The world’s largest U.N.-funded peacekeeping mission is at 75% of its total 26,000 strength but says its job to secure the remote area is difficult in the absence of a peace deal between Khartoum and rebels who took up arms in 2003.

Furthermore, many Darfuris living in the camps look with suspicion to the force and conceiving them as pro-Khartoum. The latter has insisted that the composition of the troops be dominantly African and rejected any units from outside the continent prompting many countries to refrain from contributing.

The Sudanese government says the mandate of the peacekeeping force is to protect civilians under Chapter VII only if its army fails to do so. Violence has flared in recent months and UNAMID itself came under attack from unidentified militias and bandits.

A total of 27 UNAMID police officers and soldiers have been killed in attacks since the force came to Darfur in 2008, UNAMID said.

A statement issued by Darfur IDP’s urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to strengthen UNAMID mandate.

“We appeal the International Community for immediate intervention using chapter Seven of Security Council Resolution passed on Darfur in order to save our lives when the UNAMID forces failed in its mission to protect us” read a statement signed by the Youth and Women Sector of Darfur IDPs and Refugees, a body loyal to Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) headed by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur.

The Panafrican News Agency (PANA) said that the AU is facing a strong opposition ahead of a special Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting here Wednesday to renew the UNAMID mandate.

International civil society organizations represented at the several pre-AU Summit meetings in Uganda said they would oppose plans to renew the mandate of the mission for another year unless the mandate was changed.

Those opposed to the renewal of UNAMID’s mandate as it is said the force has not been able to protect the Darfurians.

A Chadian diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the mandate of the UNAMID was weak and needed a review. But he declined to state whether Chad would push for a review of that mandate.

However, the AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping’s Spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, told PANA that the opposition to the renewal of the mandate would not stop the decision-making process.

‘We welcome the role of the civil society. But in this case, they will not stop the decision-making process. The PSC has met twice on the issue of Darfur and they have contributed positively to the improvement of the situation, including contributions to the Doha peace process,’ Mezni said.

Mezni said the formation of the force was carefully worked out because of the Sudanese government’s opposition to a UN peacekeeping mission. He said the force was operating under special circumstances that required the understanding of its critics.

But a senior Oxfam official countered: ‘The question is what have you (UNAMID) been doing with the mandate for the past year in order to request for another mandate of one year? You cannot have a peacekeeping force that cannot respond even when stones are being thrown at them.’

Oxfam is due to release a new performance evaluation report on UNAMID.

The International organization said there were concerns about lapses in the peacekeeping operation in Darfur.

Last March, the head of U.N. peacekeeping, Alain Le Roy said he wants a full investigation of an ambush of UNAMID near a rebel stronghold in which they were stripped of their equipments.

Sudan’s army has also questioned how UNAMID lost its vehicles, weapons, money and communications equipment in the ambush without a fight.

Le Roy said he wants to know if UNAMID failed to take a stand against the attackers when it should have.

“When you are attacked, the rules of engagement are very clear: you have the right to use your weapons in … self defense,” Le Roy said.

“If it’s the case that they (UNAMID) have not reacted, or if the mission was badly planned, then there will be … sanctions because that is of course unacceptable for the credibility of U.N. peacekeeping,” he said.

A Sudanese diplomat, Bona Malwal Akuei, said the main problem facing the Darfur force was the lack of technical equipment.

“Our appeal is to the international community and those countries with the military equipment, including the tactical helicopters, to provide it to the force,” the Sudanese diplomat said, adding that there was no substitute for UNAMID in Darfur.

Earlier this year, Ethiopia provided five tactical helicopters, after a prolonged struggle by the force to find a country willing to give them.

UNAMID says that the helicopters aim at enhancing the Mission’s ability to protect the civilian population and will also enable a swift and effective response to any developing emergency on the ground.

However, sources in Darfur say that the Sudanese government refused to grant permission to fly those helicopters despite repeated private pleas by the mission. There have been no signs of lifting the restrictions.

The UNAMID still needs transport choppers to move the supplies and equipment necessary to carry out its mandate.

(ST)