UN urges parties to Darfur conflict to work for peace

United Nations, Oct 22 (PTI) The security conditions in
Darfur remain so poor that the joint U.N.-African Union
peacekeeping operation cannot operate effectively, a new U.N.
report says, urging parties to the conflict -– Sudanese forces
and militias support by them and rebels -– to stop fighting
and work towards a peaceful settlement.

In the report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed
concern that the Sudanese government and rebel movements
continue to pursue a military solution and have done little in
implementing the 2006 peace accord that was supposed to reduce
and then end the five-year old conflict.

More than 300,000 people have died as a direct result of
the conflict and consequences of fighting including hunger and
disease. About 2.7 million have been forced out of homes.

A disturbing new development is that the joint mission
itself– known as UNAMID http://unamid.unmissions.org/Default.
aspx> – is increasingly becoming a target of armed attacks and
banditry, obstructing its ability to deploy rapidly and to
fulfill its mandate to protect civilians and help implement
the peace agreement.

"Reinforcements are slowly arriving, but the security
situation and difficult environment in Darfur have delayed the
arrival of equipment for incoming contingents," Boon stated.

Almost a year after the mission was authorised, only just
over 10,500 uniformed personnel, including troops, military
observers and police officers, have so far been deployed
across Darfur, far short of the estimated 26,000 peacekeepers
required. More than 2,500 civilian staff have also been
recruited.

Even bringing equipment and basic supplies into Darfur is
exposing UNAMID staff to higher risk, given the volatility of
conditions on the ground, the report said.

The mission personnel "often undertake patrols and
provide force protection escorts without adequate
communication and transportation assets. UNAMID civilian
personnel also work and live in an extremely unsafe
environment."

A U.N. security assessment team, after visiting the
troubled areas, is now finalising recommendations to improve
staff safety and security.

Ban says the effectiveness of the mission depends on
Sudanese Government cooperation on issues such as the freedom
of movement of UNAMID staff, customs clearance, visas and the
re-supply of the operation by air, rail and road.

He stresses that the Government has a responsibility to
"take concrete steps" towards disarming the so-called
Janjaweed militiamen and other groups allied to Government
forces.

"I call on the Government to comply with its obligations
under international human rights and humanitarian law, in
particular with regard to the protection of civilians," Ban
says.

The report also calls on all rebel groups to commit to an
immediate cessation of hostilities, start serious negotiations
with the Government and fully cooperate with the peacekeeping
mission.

But Ban also points out that UNAMID, despite its broad
mandate for the protection of civilians and assistance to
peace implementation, is not designed to create a sustainable
solution to the Darfur crisis. "That is the responsibility of
the parties to the conflict."

The U.N. has been unable to get 24 helicopters needed to
ensure mobility in the area which has little infrastructure.

The Security Council is expected to discuss Ban's report
at a meeting next week when Under-Secretary-General Alain Le
Roy, who has just completed a visit to Sudan, will brief the
15-member panel. PTI DS
DEP