Darfur Peace and Development

El Fasher, 30 July 2010 – Thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have gathered around UNAMID’s Community Policing Centre (CPC) outside Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur, following violent confrontations yesterday which claimed several lives.

Tensions sparked by recent clashes over IDPs’ participation in the Doha peace process negotiations peaked yesterday afternoon, when hundreds of IDPs took to the streets of the camp, some protesting the talks, others supporting them. Many…

El Fasher, 29 July 2010 – The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) confirms that a Russian pilot, previously unaccounted for following an incident earlier this week, was this evening safely returned to UNAMID’s base in Nyala, South Darfur.

At 17:15hrs today a UNAMID helicopter carrying Sudanese and Mission Security Officers took off from Nyala. The team landed in Oum Sader, approximately 55 km north of Nyala and 50 kilometers…

29 July 2010 – Three people reported to be supporters or members of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), which recently signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government of the Sudan authorities in Doha, were killed yesterday in Hamadiya Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Zalingei, West Darfur. Fighting had broken out at about 1800 hours between IDPs backing LJM and those supporting the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) faction…

29 July 2010 – Today, UNAMID offices throughout Darfur participated in a day-long, clean-up and environmental awareness campaign. Over 200 peacekeepers joined efforts to collect litter, clear storm drainage systems and plant trees in towns and around Mission facilities. UNAMID trucks and other heavy vehicles were made available.

A number of the Mission’s substantive divisions planted saplings outside the UNAMID headquarters compound in El Fasher, North Darfur. The campaign is scheduled…

29 July 2010 – A 6-member delegation from the Government of the Sudan and the League of Arab States (LAS) led by the League’s Ambassador Salah Halima yesterday began a three-day tour of Darfur, facilitated by UNAMID. The group visited a number of projects and model returnee villages funded by the LAS, including.

The delegation, which arrived in El Fasher, North Darfur this afternoon, will meet with the Mission’s leadership tomorrow…

28 July 2010 – Yesterday, in El Geneina, West Darfur, UNAMID observed the signing of a peace agreement between representatives of Sudan Liberation Army-FREES (SLA-FREES) and the Justice and Reform Movement (JRM), splinter groups of SLA-Abdul Wahid and the Justice and Equality Movement respectively.

The agreement was mediated by a reconciliation committee composed of native administrators and local leaders. The Deputy Wali (Governor) of West Darfur, Mr. Abolgasim Baraka, thanked the…

28 July 2010 – A UNAMID-backed library containing over 500 legal references was today inaugurated at the State Prosecutor’s Office in El Fasher, North Darfur. Attending the ceremony were state representatives and members of the humanitarian community.

“It is our pleasure to open this library, the fruit of the continued collaboration with our brothers in UNAMID,” said State Chief Prosecutor Mahdi Bosch. “It will provide an invaluable service and enhance the

27 July 2010 — The peace process in Darfur has reached a critical point, with the security situation deteriorating just as prospects for a negotiated settlement have slightly improved, UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari told the Security Council as he urged all parties to the conflict to step up their efforts to reach a deal.

Mr. Gambari, who is also the Joint Special Representative of the UN and AU in Darfur, told…

27 July 2010 – Two aid workers from the German government’s disaster relief organization, Technisches Hilfswerk (THW), have been released after 35 days in captivity. They were picked up safely today near Kabkabiya, North Darfur, by a UNAMID helicopter and taken to Nyala, South Darfur. Both are reportedly in good health.

In Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, five IDP sheikhs (leaders) who fled to UNAMID’s local police center on 25 July…

27 July 2010 — The peace process in Darfur has reached a critical point, with the security situation deteriorating just as prospects for a negotiated settlement have slightly improved, UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari told the Security Council as he urged all parties to the conflict to step up their efforts to reach a deal.

Mr. Gambari, who is also the Joint Special Representative of the UN and AU in Darfur, told…