05-08-06,9:09am
NAIROBI, 7 May 2006 (IRIN) - United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland on Sunday called for the strengthening of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in Sudan's strife-torn region of Darfur ahead of a planned deployment of a UN mission in the region, where conditions among civilians displaced by conflict have deteriorated as violence escalated.
'We need a real strengthening of the AU force in the interim period,' Egeland said after visiting the town of Gereida in South Darfur.
The pan-African body on 10 March extended the mandate of the African Union Mission in Sudan until 30 September, after which it would transfer the operation to the UN. However, the Sudanese government has been reluctant to allow the deployment of UN troops to its territory.
Egeland's visit to Darfur came two days after the largest of Darfur's three rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), bowed to international pressure and agreed 'with reservations' to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government following protracted peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Two smaller groups have refused to sign the peace deal, demanding more concessions from Khartoum.
The UN humanitarian coordinator said the signing of the peace pact in Abuja on Friday was a welcome development and a 'sign of hope'.
He told IRIN: 'We have turned the corner. ... The alternative [to the peace deal] could have been unimaginable. What the international community needs now is to help enforce the agreement so that spoiler elements do not undermine it.' The agreement was the first 'sign of hope' for the people of Darfur since the conflict erupted in early 2003, Egeland said.
He expressed hope that the rebel groups that had failed to sign the peace agreement would do so soon.
Life for civilians in Darfur has been 'horrendous' in the recent past, as violence escalated hindering efforts by humanitarian workers to reach those affected by the conflict.
Egeland said he had been 'very impressed by the heroic efforts' of the humanitarian workers in Darfur, and appealed to the international community to make more resources available for relief work and the peace and reconciliation efforts that might follow the signing of the peace deal.
He also met with representatives of the SLM/A faction that signed the peace pact in Abuja and told them they must now stop all violence.
He described Gereida, where 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are gathered, as the 'epicentre of the severe humanitarian situation' and lauded the efforts of the 200 AU peacekeepers in the town, whom he said had done a good job despite a dearth of resources.
Egeland also spent time with a group of IDPs in Gereida, including recently displaced widows who fled their homes without any belongings.
He had talks with the deputy governor of South Darfur in the town of Nyala during which he insisted that aid workers must be given unlimited access to those affected by the conflict, as provided for the Abuja peace deal.
Humanitarian workers had last week expressed fears that Gereida might come under siege following attacks on rebel-controlled villages in South Darfur. Leaders in displaced communities said more than 300 villages around Gereida had been abandoned because of the threat of attack since November 2005.
According to United Nations sources, on 24 April, the Sudanese government used an Antonov plane and two helicopter gunships to attack the rebel-controlled village of Joghana, southeast of Gereida, which displaced an additional 25,000 people. Earlier, on 16 April, government forces attacked and retook the rebel-controlled town of Donkey Dreisa, 50 km north of Gereida. On 21 April, Janjawid militia and government forces jointly attacked Dito town, 25km northeast of Gereida. The attacks have exacerbated the already dire situation for many civilians across Darfur.
Interfactional skirmishes have also complicated the situation. Fighting between two SLA factions escalated near Shangil Tobayi and Tawilla in North Darfur during the second half of April, displacing thousands.
The UN estimates that 3.6 million people are affected by conflict in Darfur, of whom 1.8 million are internally displaced and 200,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad. More than 200,000 people have been killed as a result of violence between the Sudanese government and rebel movements.
The rebels accuse Khartoum of neglect and oppression of the people of Darfur and of sponsoring violent attacks by a militia group, the Janjawid, on civilians, including women and children. Khartoum denies the allegations.
