Nigerian protection force arrives in Darfur

By Finbarr O’Reilly

EL-FASHER, Sudan, Oct 28 (Reuters) – A contingent of 50 Nigerian soldiers arrived in Darfur on Thursday aboard a U.S. military plane, the first of 3,000 extra African Union troops deployed to monitor a shaky ceasefire in Sudan’s western region.

Nigerian soldiers arrive in El-Fasher in Western Sudan, October 28, 2004.

Before leaving the Nigerian capital, the troops received orders not to get involved in the 20-month-old conflict, which has driven more than 1.5 million civilians from their homes.

“There might be situations where you come across stakeholders in the conflict,” Nigerian Major General Shekari Behubiliyok told the troops on the Abuja airstrip.

“You must be impartial and you must not be seen to support one side or the other. Neutrality is the guiding word.”

Human rights groups have urged the 53-member African Union to use the soldiers to protect the hungry, destitute civilians who have taken refuge in makeshift camps dotted along Sudan’s border with Chad, fearing attacks by horse-riding Arab militia called Janjaweed.

But the AU has given them a specific mandate to protect ceasefire monitors and safeguard civilians only if they are under imminent threat.

“The mission of the troops is a protection force to protect observers in Darfur. Our job is to restore peace,” said Nigerian Lieutenant Colonel Rabiu Abubakar.

The reinforcements will bolster a force of 300 AU soldiers protecting 150 observers already in the desert region the size of France.

The Sudanese government has reluctantly agreed to the foreign troops under threat of possible oil sanctions by the United Nations. It suspects the West of siding with the rebels.

MORE TROOPS

Nigeria expects to deploy another 350 troops over the next few weeks, bringing its total deployment to a battalion of 550, said an army spokesman. Rwanda and other AU members are expected to lift the total strength to about 3,000.

Shortly after landing in North Darfur state capital El-Fasher, the headquarters of the AU Darfur mission, the U.S. transport plane left for Rwandan capital Kigali where more troops are waiting to fly to Darfur on Saturday.

The United Nations says Darfur is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, which has killed around 70,000 people through disease and malnutrition since March. There are no reliable figures for how many people have died due to fighting.

The deployment began as peace talks in Abuja dragged into a fourth day with little progress, despite pressure from the international community.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail held talks with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also AU chairman.

“We agreed that a couple of days after the peace talks started, nothing much has been achieved,” Ismail told reporters.

“The Sudanese people, the African continent and the international community are looking to Abuja. Something has to be done.”

Rebels have refused to sign a humanitarian accord to allow more aid to refugees, insisting that it be signed together with a security pact that would disarm the Janjaweed.

Mediators have prepared a preliminary agreement on security which will be presented to observers and to both sides later on Thursday.

The text calls for the government to identify and disarm the Janjaweed, while the rebels would be required to disclose the location and size of their forces, mediators said.