UN peacekeepers in Darfur conduct first long-range patrol

The international peacekeeping mission in Darfur yesterday concluded its first “extended long range patrol”. The Mission’s troops are normally stationary or patrol at short-range. By contrast, this patrol covered a distance of more than 1000 kilometres. The convoy began in El Fasher, North Darfur, and passed through Kutum, Kulbus, El Geneina, Kabkabiya and Saraf Omra. The patrol was conducted by a unit of Nepalese Special Forces, one of two ‘special reserve’ companies deployed in Darfur.

 “The convoy was accompanied by the Mission’s tactical helicopters,” said a statement from the mission spokesman’s office. It added that “UNAMID’s Special Reserve Forces are troops highly trained in responding to emergency situations in the Mission area.”

The announcement of this show of force comes one week after three peacekeepers were killed in a firefight with uniformed militia. Twenty-seven UNAMID personnel have been killed in hostile action since the mission deployed in 2008. UNAMID is the successer of an earlier all-African peacekeeping force.