Darfur Consortium: Darfur in the News: African Media

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African Media Coverage

January 16, 2023

SOUTH AFRICA: IOL
“SA wants faster AU/UN movement in Darfur”

South Africa wants countries who have promised troops for the African Union/United Nations peace-keeping operation in Sudan's Darfur region to speed up their deployment.
"If we don't get fast movement of the UNAMID forces, their full deployment and the technical assistance, then the whole comprehensive agreement in Sudan could be endangered," Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said at a press briefing at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday.

This comes as the UN Security Council, of whom South Africa is a non-permanent member, was told that negotiations with troop-contributing countries were not moving fast enough.

Some set conditions for their participation, including limiting operations to daytime hours and restriction of movement to the immediate vicinity of UNAMID bases."We believe this is unrealistic because it would result in the mission losing its ability to carry out its mandate," Pahad said.

UNAMID is the acronym for the joint AU/UN operation in Darfur which took over peacekeeping duties from the AU Amis peacekeeping force at the beginning of the year.

The mission, the UN's largest, will eventually consist of 20 000 troops and 6000 police and civilian personnel, but only around 9000 troops and police are currently in place.
South Africa has already deployed about 900 troops and around 100 police officers as part of the UNAMID force and Pahad said the country was willing to contribute even more personnel.

International efforts to bring peace to Darfur have been slow.

Over 200 000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 between government forces and the rebel groups.

"The remaining UNAMID force must deployed as swiftly as possible, otherwise we don't believe they will be making the impact that is needed in that region.

"Violence is increasing, the situation is very, very serious," Pahad said. - Sapa

1 TOGO SANS ETHNIES

Action Professionals Association for the People

Aegis Trust Rwanda

African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies

African Center for Development

Africa Internationally Displaced Persons Voice (Africa IDP Voice)

African Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR)

African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET)

The Ahueni Foundation

Alliances for Africa

Amman Centre for Human Rights Studies

Andalus Institute for Tolerance

Anti-Slavery International

Arab Program for Human Rights Activists

Association Africaine de Defense des Droits de l'Homme (ASADHO)

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE)

Centre for Research Education and Development of Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights (CREDO)

Citizens for Global Solutions

Conseil National Pour les Libertés en Tunisie

Darfur Alert Coalition (DAC)

Darfur Centre for Human Rights and Development

Darfur Reconciliation and Development Organization (DRDO)

Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre

East Africa Law Society

Egyptian Organization for Human Rights

Femmes Africa Solidarité

La Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH)

Human Rights First

Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)

Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

Institute for Security Studies

Inter-African Union for Human Rights (UIDH)

Interights

International Refugee Rights Initiative

Justice Africa

Justice and Peace Commission

Lawyers for Human Rights

Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections

Legal Resources Consortium-Nigeria

Ligue Tunisienne des Droits de l'Homme

Makumira University College, Tumaini University

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)

Minority Rights Group

National Association of Seadogs

Never Again International

Open Society Justice Initiative

Pan-African Movement

People Against Injustice (PAIN)

Rencontre Africaine Pour la Defense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO)

Sierra Leone STAND Chapter

Sisters' Arabic Forum for Human Rights (SAF)

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)

Sudan Organization Against Torture (SOAT)

Syrian Organization for Human Rights

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

Universal Human Rights Network

WARIPNET

Women Initiative Nigeria (WIN)