Comunicado obre la decisión, aceptada por el Gobierno de Sudán, de que se cree una fuerza de paz mixta entre Naciones Unidas y la Unión Africana para proteger a la población civil de Darfur. Amnistía Internacional presenta 10 recomendaciones que deben tenerse en cuenta con la puesta en marcha de dicha fuerza de paz.
Sudan: Effective Peacekeeping most urgent for civilian protection
In a meeting in Addis Ababa of the African Union, the United Nations, and representatives of Security Council countries and others, the Sudan Government has agreed in principle to a hybrid operation of UN and AU peacekeepers in Darfur.
The communiqué issued in Addis Ababa yesterday said that the peacekeeping will have a predominantly African character Backstopping and command and control structures will be provided by the UN. The Government of Sudan has reportedly not yet agreed to the proposed strength of 17,000 peacekeepers and 3,000 police.
Amnesty International said that in a week when the Janjawid have been carrying out attacks on civilians all over Darfur, what the people of Darfur need is really effective peacekeeping. If the international community cannot deliver this it will have failed them.
At the moment the structure, organization and mandate of the force is not clear. Peacekeepers must be mandated to protect civilians everywhere in Darfur, using all necessary means, in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, and according to clear rules of engagement.
Amnesty International underlines the following 10 recommendations which any peacekeeping force must follow to ensure effective protection of civilians in Darfur in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.
Human resources: The force must have the human resources necessary to fulfil its protection mandate, including adequate troops and a civil affairs component to maintain strong relations with civil society, including the displaced in the camps.
Material resources: The force must have the material resources necessary to fulfil it mandate such as communications equipment and transport capabilities.
Freedom of movement: The force must be able to travel without restrictions by the government of Sudan or armed opposition groups to all areas of Darfur.
Secure humanitarian access: The force must be able to ensure secure humanitarian access, to ensure that roads are safe and humanitarian supplies can reach all those in need.
Return of the displaced: The force must have the capcity to ensurethe safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the displaced to their homes, by protecting those returning, throughout their journey and upon arrival by having a visible and lasting presence in areas of return.
Protection of women from violence: The force must prioritize the protection of women to curb the high incidence of violence against women in Darfur.
Disarmament: The force must have sufficient capacity to ensure the disarmament of the Janjawid and to contribute to the implementation of the Security Council arms embargo.
Civilian police: There should be a strong and well-trained civilian police component which should have unlimited access to all detention centres in Darfur and supervise and train police forces in Darfur.
Reporting and acting on human rights violations: Reports of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law should be placed promptly on the public record.
Accountability for peacekeepers: Civilians must be clearly informed of the mandate and there should be an independent complaints mechanism to which civilians should have easy access.
