Vatican City, 1 August 2007 – Caritas Internationalis welcomes the new UN resolution to send peacekeepers to the troubled Darfur region of Sudan. Caritas says
the force of 26,000 peacekeepers will provide vital security to civilians and aid workers caught in the conflict there. Caritas has been working through the Darfur Advocacy Network to urge the
international community to provide better protection for the people of Darfur.The UN troops will take over from an AU force of only 7000 troops by the end of the year, and will have a stronger
mandate. The peacekeepers come under chapter seven of the UN charter, which gives them the right to use force to protect civilians and assist the delivery of relief supplies.At least 200,000
people have died, over two and a half million forced from their homes, and four and a half million people affected in Darfur since the outbreak of fighting in 2003 in what is frequently described as
the world's worst humanitarian disaster. There were hopes that the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), signed in Abuja in May 2006, would bring some peace to the region and permit the process of
rehabilitation and recovery to start. Unfortunately, this has not happened, partly because not all factions were consulted in the process. The humanitarian environment has deteriorated steadily since
then.The Caritas Confederation has been in Darfur from the outset of this crisis, working with ACT International through a network of faith-based and Sudanese aid agencies. It has been
providing shelter, clean water and sanitation, as well as building health clinics and schools for people living in the camps. Insecurity has hampered relief efforts and resulted in the deaths of some
aid workers. An ACT-Caritas staff member was killed in June. Caritas says the resolution is a welcome breakthrough. However, as the resolution has been stripped of the threat of sanctions
against the Government of Sudan if it prevents the force's deployment, it remains to be seen if the force will be blocked in the future. Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne
Knight said, "It is too early to tell if the UN resolution for peacekeepers in Darfur means an end to the suffering of the people there, but it sends a strong signal to all the warring parties to stop
fighting and to enter into meaningful negotiations. "The force should go a long way in providing protection for civilians and access and security for humanitarian operations. If the
peacekeepers can achieve these goals, then there is good reason for hope."All parties in Sudan must welcome the force. Any attempts to block the peacekeepers from doing their jobs will be
unacceptable, and must be met by an increase in efforts by the international community to bring peace to Darfur. "Caritas and its partners in the Darfur Advocacy Network have been
pressing for the resolution, and it is good to see our efforts rewarded. The next big challenge is is to push for all factions involved in the conflict to truly commit to reviving the peace process.
The outcome of meetings that start on Friday in Arusha, Tanzania, will be a good indicator of that commitment."The meetings will lay the framework for a new round of peace negotiations meant
to address and repair the weaknesses of the 2006 agreement.Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in over 200
countries and territories. Nancy McNally, media officer Tel: +39 06 69879752 Mobile: +39 334 2344 136 mcnally@caritas.va www.caritas.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
