African Union announces seven-fold increase to peace mission in Darfur

NAIROBI, Oct 21 (AFP) — The African Union (AU) said Thursday it was going to boost the size of its ceasefire monitoring and civilian protection force in Sudan’s troubled region of Darfur from 465 to
3,320 personnel.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council endorsed plans for the massive expansion at a meeting on Wednesday.

The council, which is similar to the United Nations Security Council, resolved that the African Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) will have a renewable one-year mandate and “shall consist of 3,320 personnel, including 2,341 military personnel, among them 450 observers, up to 815 civilian personnel as well as the appropriate
civilian personnel.”

The troops will be provided by Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Gabon according to AU sources in Addis Ababa, where the pan-African body has its headquarters.

The main task of the AU’s existing mission in Darfur, which began deploying in June, is to monitor a shaky ceasefire signed by
two rebel groups and government forces there and, where possible, to
protect civilians.

The AU specified that the expanded force will “protect civilians
whom it encounters under imminent threat in the immediate vicinity
(of its personnel), within resources and capability, it being
understood that the protection of the civilian population is the
responsibility of the government of Sudan.”

The United Nations estimates that 70,000 people have been killed
and 1.5 million driven from their homes since Darfur’s rebel groups
launched an uprising in February 2003, accusing Khartoum of leaving
their region on the economic and political sidelines.

Khartoum has faced international criticism over its response to
the uprising, especially its use of a militia force known as the
Janjaweed.