Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) welcomes the advance in the peace process, and notes that the return of displaced people must be voluntary and should not take place in the absence of verifiable security for returnees.
The United Nations Security Council has authorized the deployment of a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur to be known as UNAMID. Up to 26,000 troops and police will make up the world's largest peacekeeping effort.
"The decision to deploy the long-awaited peacekeeping force, UNAMID, to Darfur represents an important potential turning point in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises", says Mr. Tomas C. Archer, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
He notes that the International Community must provide the resources needed. The Government of Sudan must fully support the implementation of the resolution and must be encouraged to meet its commitments.
"Full humanitarian access is key in order to address the extensive humanitarian needs in Darfur", Archer says.
NRC, which has been providing support for internally displaced people and refugees throughout Sudan since 2004, notes the following concerns related to the new UN Mission in Darfur.
1. The effectiveness of UNAMID is contingent upon the resolution of outstanding disagreements surrounding the Darfur Peace Agreement. At present, there is no peace to keep for the proposed hybrid force. Most of the parties in the Darfur conflict are not signatory to the DPA. Extensive fighting is still ongoing and the situation on the ground is potentially dangerous with increasing fragmentation of armed groups.
2. Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) is typically a central part of the mandate of peacekeeping missions. However this is not the case for the new mission in Darfur, even though provisions for DDR were agreed upon in June by the UN Secretary General and African Union Commission on June 5. In the context of the heavily weaponised conflict in Darfur, which is characterised by an increasing number of armed fractions and splinter groups, the absence of DDR is worrisome and represents a continuing threat to peace. NRC calls upon the International Community to address DDR in talks with the Government of Sudan.
3. The Security Council resolution stresses the importance of the return of displaced people. While NRC fully supports the principle of returns, it notes that these must be voluntary and should not take place in the absence of verifiable security for returnees.
4. The leadership and chain of command of the new mission are unclear, yet these are critical for its success. The current UN mission in Sudan, UNMIS, has been beleaguered by questions around leadership and institutional coordination. This is a significant and continuous weakness.
NRC takes note of the improved cooperation in recent months between the Government of Sudan and the International Community, including measures currently being implemented aimed at improving humanitarian access in Darfur. NRC strongly supports these kinds of productive engagements with the Khartoum Government and looks forward to their strengthening and consolidation in the context of the new UN-African Union mission.
NRC has been active in Sudan since 2004, providing protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons. NRC run projects in Khartoum, South Kordofan, Lakes, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Central Equatorial. NRC has approximately 200 National staff and 20 International staff in Sudan.
NRC was forced to close all operations in Darfur November 2006, after having been suspended from the role as camp manager in the largest camp, Kalma, no less than five times.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
