afrol News, 28 July - African aid agencies have criticised a joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in the troubled Sudanese region Darfur for failing to protect the civilian population.

The Darfur Consortium, a coalition of more than 40 aid groups operating in Africa said that, despite the mission being under-equipped, overstretched and lacking Sudanese government supports, it should strive to execute its mandate in the Darfur region.

The consortium said it is discouraging for the African Union-Union Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which was expected to have 26,000 blue helmets in Darfur, having less 10,000 in six months of its deployment in Sudanese region.

"This is because the Sudanese government is failing to let it deploy fully, because UN and AU have not given it their full political backing, and because donor countries have not fulfilled their pledges to support the mission," the consortium report said.

The report further said, though there are slights positive improvements for the lives of Darfur dwellers, major notable strides could be visible if the mission would be well-equipped and is at its full strength.

The Darfur Consortium further urged UNAMID to respond effectively to minor attacks on civilians while at the moment it has no capacity to respond to large-scale fighting by rebels and government troops.

The five-year Darfur conflict, which was as a result of ethnic Darfuri rebels who took up arms against the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum and state-backed militias, UN said 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have been displaced.

The African Union was mandated to take control of peacekeeping missions on the continent, but its first two missions to Darfur and Somalia have not succeeded. In Darfur, the UN stepped in to form a joint UN/AU force to protect some four million people caught up in war. In Somalia, the fragile government is facing a predicament, where it seeks UN peacekeepers to replace the AU mission.

"Sending peacekeeping missions when there is no peace to keep, as has happened in Darfur and could happen in Somalia, is a risky business," said Jan Eliasson, who was until recently leading the Darfur peace talks.

Seven peacekeepers died and 22 were wounded in an ambush by heavily armed militia on 8 July, the deadliest in a series of attacks on UNAMID personnel this year.

Shortage of staff and equipment of peacekeepers also became evident in Abyei, in central Sudan, which was destroyed by a conflict between the Khartoum and the southern governments in May, while stationed 200 peacekeepers remained in their base.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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