Refugee Rights News
Volume 4, Issue 6
October 2008

ACTION AND ADVOCACY

Advocating a More Effective Peacekeeping in Darfur

At the end of July, marking the first anniversary of the authorisation by UN Security Council Resolution 1769 of the joint United Nations – African Union hybrid mission in Darfur (UNAMID), a coalition of NGOs came together in a campaign to push for a more effective force. The effort centred on the release of two reports. The first, "Putting People First: the Protection Challenge Facing UNAMID in Darfur", focussed on assessing UNAMID's performance on the ground. It was released by the Darfur Consortium, a network of more than 50 Africa based and Africa focused civil society organisations for which the International Refugee Rights Initiative serves as a secretariat. The report concluded, among other things, that the force has been inadequately supported by the international community and that this is limiting its effectiveness. The second report, "Grounded: the International Community's Betrayal of Darfur," was co-signed by the International Refugee Rights Initiative in a coalition of more than 30 civil society organisations. This report focused on remedying the lack of international support for the mission by focusing on one particularly critical piece of equipment for the mission -- helicopters. The report sought to identify countries with resources at their disposal in an effort to secure new contributions.

Putting People First: The Protection Challenge Facing UNAMID in Darfur

The Darfur Consortium's report chronicled some of UNAMID's efforts in the region and made specific suggestions for improving the force's capacity to protect civilians. It found that the force was rapidly losing the confidence of ordinary Darfurians, many of whom felt no more protected now than before the mission arrived. In particular, the report documented the failure of the mission to respond to attacks against civilians occurring near the mission's bases and to establish a round the clock presence in the major IDP camps, where those who have been displaced by war continue to suffer from insecurity. While noting that many of these deficiencies were inevitable given the lack of resources available, the report concluded that this constituted a massive failure on the part of the international community to protect the people of Darfur.

In the words of Dismas Nkunda, spokesperson for the Consortium, “the people of Darfur deserve more than empty words and broken promises. One year ago the UN Security Council stood unanimous and promised Darfurians the strongest and largest protection force ever. Today that force is just over a third deployed, lacks even the most basic equipment, and is unable to protect itself let alone civilians. The international community needs to urgently bolster its support to the brave, mostly African peacekeepers. The truth is stark but simple: the international community’s failure to act is costing lives.”  

The report identifies a number of key steps that could be taken by UNAMID to support the protection of civilians in the short term. For instance it recommends convening regular consultations with internally displaced and other vulnerable communities in order to explain the mission, its mandate and capabilities, and to understand their needs and security concerns. Such meetings would not require significant additional resources, but would both help manage the expectations of Darfurian communities and create a more comprehensive understanding of – and, therefore, more nuanced strategies for addressing – insecurity in Darfur.

The report further urges a series of priorities for the mission that could be progressively implemented as additional resources become available, including establishing a continuous presence in the camps, and responding more quickly to attacks. As one Darfurian woman quoted in the report said: “We go out to collect firewood two or three times a week and I’m scared all day. I wish UNAMID would come with us. Sometimes armed men rob us or beat us. Some women have been raped or killed. If UNAMID came with us these men would not dare to attack us.”

In addition to advocating for a more proactive UNAMID, the report identifies critical roles for international actors in supporting the mission. For instance, it encourages the government of Sudan to accept vital troop offers without undue requirements and donor nations to contribute needed equipment.

The report was endorsed by Emmanuel Jal, the Sudanese musician and a former child soldier: “I survived the 20 year war that raged between north and south Sudan, and it pains me to the core to see history repeating itself again in Darfur. UNAMID could make a real difference to people’s lives – but only if the international community gives it the support that it deserves.” In addition, the UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Mr. Rodolphe Adada, expressed his appreciation for the report, although he stressed that despite its difficulties, UNAMID continues to do everything it can.

Grounded: the International Community's Betrayal of Darfur

The second report, "Grounded: the International Community's Betrayal of Darfur", was written by aviation expert Thomas Withington and co-signed by more than 30 organisations. It was a unique attempt to specifically identify those countries in a position to offer one critical resource – namely helicopters. While the report also noted that other critical resources, including UN blue helmets and boots as well as training for the force, are also desperately needed, it specifically focused on the issues of helicopters. It noted that not a single transport helicopter had been offered to the peacekeeping mission, regardless of the fact that the number needed (18) was modest in comparison to the number deployed in Iraq (350). The report also named six countries, the Czech Republic, India, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Ukraine, which are believed to be best placed to offer these resources. In total, these six countries are estimated to have the capacity to donate more than four times the needed number of helicopters.
 
The report was the product of extensive and detailed research on capacity, taking into account the fact that some helicopters are not suitable for the environment in Darfur, It also recognized that, because helicopters are high maintenance assets, three helicopters would be needed in rotation to maintain a consistent deployment of one.

Nonetheless, resources can and should be made available. In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lakhdar Brahimi, President Jimmy Carter and Graca Machel, who co-authored the foreword to the report, “many of these helicopters are gathering dust in hangars or flying in air shows when they could be saving lives in Darfur.”

In New York City, activists launched the report at a press conference near the United Nations headquarters, featuring a helicopter hung with a banner reading "Send Me to Darfur." The UN launch underscored the need for leading nations to supply the critically lacking helicopters to the UNAMID peacekeeping mission. Groups also made public a petition with more than 50,000 signatures – urging the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council to fulfil their obligations and commitments to the people of Darfur. NGOs are continuing to push for more effective peacekeeping in Darfur.

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