afrol News, 28 July - A joint United Nations-African Union mission has received 126 Egyptian engineers in El Fasher, Darfur. The Egyptian engineers have already deployed 83 personnel, but the mission recommends a total of 335 staff to be deployed within a few days.

The contingent - including construction, de-mining and water desalination platoons - has been assigned for construction and maintenance of El Fasher airport, one of the main inroads to the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan.

UNAMID head Rodolphe Adada appealed to the Sudanese government to ensure that convoys reach their destinations safely as the mission was said to be ferrying thousands containers, a move which would be difficult due to the country's dangerous roads.

UNAMID confirmed a process to suspend the temporary relocation of its non-essential UN personnel, of which 300 them were moved out of Darfur before the relocation was halted last week.

An estimated 300,000 people have been killed as a result of direct combat, disease or malnutrition since 2003 when conflict began. War between rebels, government forces and allied militiamen known as the Janjaweed has forcefully caused 2.7 million people displacing.

Also yesterday, UNAMID announced that it was continuing to suspend the temporary relocation of its non-essential UN personnel. Around 300 people were moved out of Darfur before the relocation was halted last Friday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), during its visits to region in March, April and July, also documented dozens of cases of torture by police, paramilitary and military units. "Victims described being beaten with sticks, chains and rifles, while local mortuary staff described bodies arriving with obvious signs of torture." Some of those who died were dumped in the forest from helicopters, HRW said in a statement.

The 126-troops contingent complement UNAMID, which was expected to have 26,000 blue helmets in Darfur, but having less 10,000 in six months of its deployment in the Sudanese region.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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