Darfur’s displaced plead for dismissal of Unamid head

The displaced in Darfur have sent a message through Radio Dabanga to the General Secretary of the United Nations and the UN Security Council (UNSC) along with its 15 member states. They have called upon the UN to investigate the former heads of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (Unamid), and fire the current chief immediately. The Association of Displaced People and Refugees of Darfur demanded an investigation into the former heads of Unamid, Rodolphe Adada and Ibrahim Gambari, as well as UN-AU joint mediator Jibril Bassole. It also demanded a serious investigation into all the reports which have been sent to the UN about Darfur. The Association’s final demand to the UN is to sack Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the current Special Representative, within 24 hours. “Unamid has indirectly supported the government and its militiamen to commit crimes against the people since the mission became active in Darfur”, the spokesman for the Association, Hussein Abu Sharati, said, while reading his demands through Radio Dabanga. Therefore, he said, the Security Council should take responsibility of the mistakes and shortcomings of Unamid. “These mistakes only happened because the UNSC did not assess the situation in Darfur well.” Abu Sharati added that “the UNSC could have sent American or European Union troops with strong mandates to operate in Darfur from the beginning. Instead, hybrid UN and African troops were sent.” He emphasised that the Association has asked to replace these hybrid troops “so that the Darfuri can be protected”. “The internally displaced people have sent 1,028 letters to the Security Council from the start of the conflict in Darfur up to 2014, but the council has not responded to any of them”, according to Abu Sharati. ‘Implement serious resolutions’ Omda Ahmed Ateem, coordinator of the North Darfur camps, told Radio Dabanga that the UNSC has issued 17 resolutions regarding the Darfur region, “but unfortunately, none of them has been implemented”. He clarified that the non-implementation of these resolutions has contributed to the increase in the number of crimes. Therefore, he demanded an urgent meeting of the SC in order to implement serious resolutions, such as 1706, which expands the mandate of the UN mission. Ahmed Ateem also asked the UNSC to investigate the former Unamid chiefs, and holds UN agencies throughout Darfur accountable for the hiding of crimes committed by the government. ‘Replace Unamid troops’ The coordinator of the Central Darfur camps agreed with Abu Sharati’s and Ahmed Ateem’s statements. He stressed to the Security Council the necessity of replacing the current Unamid troops and the mission’s mandate. “Replace them with forces carrying a strong mandate that can protect thousands of civilians and displaced people from the harm done by the pro-government militias.” He further demanded the return of the expelled aid organisations in 2009, and the disarming of the Janjaweed whom have been replaced in the forms of Rapid Support Forces and Abu Tira. Finally, the coordinator assured that the non-implementation of the UNSC’s resolutions for Darfur has helped President Al Bashir to expand his military forces, and continue his crimes in the region. File photo: Unamid peacekeepers (UN) Related: Head Unamid indicates reduction Darfur peace mission (11 April 2014) Sudan Leaks: Unamid spokesperson ‘resigned to tell the truth about Darfur’ (9 April 2014) ‘UN missions fail to grasp Darfur, Sudan conflict’: human rights activist (9 April 2014) Unamid protects newly displaced in North and South Darfur (7 April 2014)