2009 10_report_unamid Bulletin No 5

http://unamid.unmissions.org

Issue 5

2009

The security situation in Darfur -

Has the war subsided? page 3

• Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada

ends UNAMID tour of duty • General Martin Luther Agwai gives his farewell salute • New UNAMID Force Commander assumed duty on 1 September - page 6

UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

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UNAMID

Front page

AFRICAN UNION - UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN DARFUR BUL L ETIN N o . 5

Inside this issue:

Child soldiers lay down their weapons during a demobilization exercise in Darfur

• The security situation in Darfur -- Has the war subsided? ..........................................3 • Civil Affairs Division promotes community reconciliation initiatives ...........................4 • Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada ends UNAMID tour of duty ...........6 • General Martin Luther Agwai gives his farewell salute ................................................6 • New UNAMID Force Commander

Director of Communications and Public Information Kemal Saiki Editor Sharon McPherson Graphic Designer Zvezdan Djukanovic Photos Nektarios Markogiannis Olivier Chassot

assumed duty on 1 September ................6 • General Henry K. Anyidoho appointed Joint Special Representative, ad interim .7 • Mohamed Yonis appointed Deputy Joint Special Representative for Operations and Management ...........................................7 • UNAMID at Work ................................8 - 9 • Advocacy for Abu Shouk women centre .10 • Increasing community policing centres in Darfur .....................................................11

UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

For comments and suggestions contact: Communications and Public Information Division +249-92-244-7941 to 7944

[email protected]

Website address: unamid.unmissions.org

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The security situation in Darfur - Has the war subsided?

Child soldiers during a exercise in Darfur

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ecently, two former leaders of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) made remarks prior to their departure that have caused questions to be raised on the actual status of the current security situation in Darfur. On 27 August, General Martin Luther Agwai, former UNAMID Force Commander, reportedly told the media in Khartoum that “as of today, I would not say there is war going on in Darfur. You see, the causes of the conflict in Darfur have changed completely. If war is a conflict whereby today you attack and then go back home, stay there until three, four or five months, and come back… if that is a definition of war, then there is a war in Darfur. If that is not the definition of war, then there is no war as of now in Darfur.” In similar tone, on 3 September, while on his final tour to Addis Ababa before leaving UNAMID, the Mission’s former Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, was quoted by the Associated Press to have stated that, “We can no longer talk of a big conflict -- of a war in Darfur. I think everybody understands it. We can no longer speak of the issue. It is over.” Both statements have been subject to different interpretations and reactions by various commentators and analysts on the Darfur conflict. The sharpest reactions have so far been from Darfur movements, advocacy groups and the Sudanese Government. These reactions, harsh as some of them may be, are understandable, particularly comments and reactions from the major belligerents in the Darfur crisis with diametrically opposed views on the situation. For the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid, (SLA-AW) and other movements still actively pursuing armed conflict against the Government of Sudan, the war has not ended. A JEM spokesman, reacting to General Agwai’s statement, was recently quoted as saying, “I don’t know how they can consider that war is over in Darfur. The war is not over. The war is over when there is a comprehensive peace agreement”. Darfur advocacy groups have also faulted the two statements maintaining that a large number of civilian deaths as a result of the war continue to occur and almost 3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) still live in camps. On the other side of the coin is the Sudanese Government. While

acknowledging that war occurred in Darfur in 2003 and 2004, it contends that significant progress towards peace has been made and that ongoing violence is a consequence of common crime and banditry. The Government agrees with General Agwai and Mr. Adada’s reading of the situation. Further, the United States Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, has expressed similar views to those of the two former UNAMID leaders. His point of view is also controversial. Also, in mid-July when UN Under-SecretaryGeneral for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, visited the Zam Zam IDP camp on the outskirts of El Fasher, he pointed out to the camp’s residents that, although their living conditions were far from ideal, a significant change had occurred in the general security situation in Darfur as compared to the previous year. demobilization From a conflict/war analysis viewpoint, the controversy over the positions taken by Mr. Adada, General Agwai and Mr. Gration seem to arise as a result of lack of distinction in the terminology of “conflict” and “war”. International scholar, Chris Mitchell says, “Conflict is a relationship between two or more parties, individuals or groups who have, or think they have, incompatible goals”. Conflict scholars agree that conflict is part of life, is not necessarily dysfunctional and can be resolved without violence or war. However, if conflict escalates to the last stage, energy generated from it can be used for violence or even war. It is important to note that not all forms of violence constitute war. This analogy may be clearer if one adopts the definition of war which sees it as an organized conduct of major armed hostilities between social groups and nations. General Agwai qualified his statements by remarking that, while the conflict in Darfur had not come to an end, the stage at which it had reached or returned did not qualify it as war. As for Mr. Adada, he asked the Darfur movements that had not joined the peace process or signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) with the Government to join the talks in Doha so the peace process could advance to the next stage in the search for a settlement of the conflict. Such resolution occurs when the parties sign an agreement and adhere to its terms. In the Darfur conflict, this stage has not been reached. The DPA was signed by only two parties – the Government and the SLA/AW. And, since its signing in Abuja, the Darfur movements have splintered from three to 30 today. Critics of Mr. Adada’s and General Agwai’s positions, especially the movements, do not perceive that the war has ended as they continue to engage the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in fighting and a comprehensive agreement with the Government is yet to be reached. While it is true that they continue to engage the Government in fighting, most recently in Korma, and whether these skirmishes amount to war or occasional violent incidents because of the conflict is open to debate. This issue is likely to remain contentious. In sum, while the Darfur crisis is by no means yet over, it would be misleading to continue to give the impression that the situation remains as dangerous and volatile as it was in 2003 and 2004. n Story by Josiah Odhiambo Obat

UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

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Civil Affairs Division promotes community reconciliation initiatives

Tribal leaders at the Community Reconciliation Initiatives workshop at UNAMID headquarters in El Fasher

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ver the past year, the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been supporting reconciliation activities in all three states of Darfur in close cooperation with the national administration, the Peace and Reconciliation Commission of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA), state authorities and civil society organisations. So far, considerable progress has been made in the reconciliation efforts of Um-El Qura and the neighbouring community of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Dourti, West Darfur, as well as the Zaghawa – Jawamaa reconciliation initiative in North Darfur. In both instances, traditional reconciliation processes, such as Ajaweed and Judiya, were used to arrive at agreements with good poten-

tial for sustainability. Some of the gains registered, especially in West Darfur, include a significant reduction in hostilities and crime between the two communities resulting in improved freedom of movement as well as a marked increase in the cultivation of land that has not been experienced in the area in the last 12 years. To continue its promotion of a culture of dialogue in settling inter-community and tribal differences and to mobilize support and resources to strengthen these grassroots approaches, CAD organized a landmark workshop on community reconciliation initiatives at UNAMID’s El Fasher headquarters on 14 September. The experiences of West and North Darfur were shared with 60 participants from a cross-section of stakeholders in the Darfur peace process, including represenUNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

tatives of donor organizations and countries, Darfur State authorities, representatives of the Darfur Peace and Reconciliation Commission (DPRC) and the native administration of North and West Darfur. Meanwhile, CAD is building confidence in and protecting the gains of these reconciliation processes by facilitating the provision of much needed social facilities in the area through quick impact projects in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation. Donor support for these community reconciliation initiatives is anticipated to sustain and broaden the scope of the grassroots approach. n

Story by Moshe Dayan Karbo

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Rodolphe Adada

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Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada ends UNAMID tour of duty

fter spending more than two years leading the African Union and UN’s efforts in Darfur, Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada, has left Sudan. During his tenure, the AU-UN Mission in Darfur experienced growth in deployment of uniformed and civilian personnel to just over 70 per cent and saw a decrease in levels of violence around Darfur. Another major development under Mr. Adada’s leadership was the improvement in working relationships with all stakeholders in the Darfur peace process, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, as well as increased engagement with the Government of Sudan. Immediately prior to his departure, Mr. Adada expressed in a letter to Darfurians that he was convinced that the situation in Darfur would “gradually evolve from armed conflict to cessation of hostilities to achievement of peace and, finally, reach the realm of sustainable development”. Noting that he was aware of the challenges they faced, he urged for continuous cooperation of all Darfurians for a successful result of the peace process. Mr. Adada also worked as head of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and was responsible for the transition to UNAMID at the end of 2007. Mr. Adada was appointed State Minister in the newly formed Industrial Development and Private Sector Development Ministry in his country, Republic of the Congo. We wish him continued success in the future! n

General Martin Luther Agwai gives his farewell salute

eneral Martin Luther Agwai left the Mission on Monday 31 August after serving it with distinction since its establishment. He led the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) military peacekeeping force and saw it grow to almost 75 percent of its authorized number before his departure. The former Force Commander was also in charge of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) forces before its handover to UNAMID at the end of 2007. Prior to his departure, General Agwai shifted the analysis on the current security situation in Darfur by declaring that, while the conflict in Darfur was ongoing, the war was over. We wish him many more salutes in the future. n

General Martin Luther Agwai

New UNAMID Force Commander assumed duty on 1 September

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he new Force Commander of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba of Rwanda, assumed duty on Tuesday 1 September 2009. He was appointed by the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations to succeed General Martin Luther Agwai, who was UNAMID’s Force Commander since the establishment of the Mission. He has been going on familiarization tours around the Mission area to meet uniformed and civilian personnel and has expressed his commitment to the Darfur peace process and to working to find ways to resolve the ongoing conflict. Lieutenant General Nyamvumba brings to UNAMID extensive leadership and operational experience. Prior to his appointment, he served as Lieutenant General Chief of Logistics of the Rwanda Defence Forces and had previously held Patrick Nyamvumba various senior command positions in the Rwandan Army. He was Commander of an infantry battalion, mechanized infantry regiment and infantry brigade in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively. Between 1998 and 1999, he served as Chief of Operations, Plans and Training. In 1999, he assumed the position of Joint Task Force Commander until his appointment as Commandant of the Military Academy in 2003. He has also served as the Commandant of the Force Preparation Centre between 2004 and 2007. In 2007, General Nyamvumba was appointed to serve as President of the Military High Court. Born on 11 June 1967, General Nyamvumba is a graduate of the South African National Defence College. n UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

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General Henry K. Anyidoho appointed Joint Special Representative, ad interim

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eneral (retired) Henry Anyidoho of Ghana was appointed Joint Special Representative ad interim (JSR a.i.) of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Jean Ping and United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon after the departure of former JSR Rodolphe Adada. He had been Deputy Joint Special Representative of UNAMID until this appointment. General Anyidoho was commissioned into the Ghana Army Signal Corps and served in various capacities in the Ghana Armed Forces including Commanding Officer of the Army Signal Regiment, Ghana Military Academy and Commander of the Northern Command of the Army. General Anyidoho had several experiences in peacekeeping missions across the globe. He served as Deputy Force Commander and Chief of Staff in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) from December 1993 to July 1995. He also had experience in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Cambodia and Liberia. After 41 years of military service, he undertook assignments with King’s College, London, and was the Team Leader for UN observers for the CameroonNigeria Mixed Commission in 2004. Prior to his appointment to UNAMID, the General was the Team Leader of the United Nations Assistance Cell that provided strategic level advice to the African Union on Darfur and then became the Coordinator of UN Support to AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Additionally, he is decorated with the Distinguished Service Order for Gallantry and is the author of the book “Guns Over Kigali”. General Anyidoho is also a patron of the Ghana Heart Foundation. General Anyidoho was born on 13 July 1940 at Tanyigbe in the Volta Region of Ghana. n

General Henry Anyidoho (rtd)

Mohamed Yonis appointed Deputy Joint Special Representative for Operations and Management

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frican Union Chairperson Jean Ping and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Mohamed Yonis of Somalia as Deputy Joint Special Representative for Operations and Management in the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Mr. Yonis succeeds Hocine Medili of Algeria. Mr. Yonis served as Director of Mission Support in UNAMID and his work with these operations began at the initial planning stages in 2006, when he served as the Head of the Darfur Planning Team in New York and later as the Mission Support Adviser to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). His broad management experience in supporting complex mission deployment activities will greatly contribute to his new role at UNAMID. Mr. Yonis’ prior peacekeeping experience also includes senior-level assignments in field missions, including serving as Chief Administrative Officer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from 2002 to 2006 and Chief Administrative Officer in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) from 2001 to 2002. Prior to service in peacekeeping, he worked for the African Development Bank in Côte d’Ivoire in various senior positions, including Director and Management Adviser to the President of the Bank and the Deputy Director of Human Resources Management. Mr. Yonis holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University. He has a diploma in education from the Teachers Training College in Hargeisa and Gohrde College in Germany, and a certificate in conflict management from the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution. Born in 1947, he is married and has four children. n UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

Mohamed Yonis

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Advocacy for Abu Shouk women centre A

fter months of sustained advocacy by the Gender Advisory Unit (GAU) of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), UN agencies and international organizations for the Sudanese Government’s permission, the women centre at Abu Shouk internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in North Darfur has finally reopened. The story must be told because this breakthrough required that two key stakeholders – the Government of Sudan and the IDP community of Abu Shouk – agree on working together to provide a safe place where IDP women could interact, engage in livelihood activities, and strengthen response to incidents of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Given the level of distrust between the two parties, an aftermath of the political dynamics of the Darfur conflict, UNAMID staff members meet internally displaced women at reaching an agreement posed a serious challenge. their centre in Abu Shouk Women centers in Darfur that were established and managed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) were closed down by the Government of Sudan (GoS) in October Action and the Women Development Network came on board. 2008. The impact of the closure was most severe on the women who When the SGBV Working Group informed IDP leaders on 20 May depended on the centers for protection and socio-economic activities. 2009 of HAC’s conditions, the IDPs were reluctant in their acceptance. Subsequently, there was strong pressure from IDP communities for However, they acknowledged that badly wanted the centres to resume UNAMID and UN agencies to take action. operating. Consequently, following dialogue between the different parIn November, UNAMID brought the issue before UN agencies and ties, the IDP leaders and women representatives of Abu Shouk finally international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and an appeal accepted the government’s role and WDN’s support. was made for the North Darfur Inter-Agency Working Group on SGBV As one woman leader of Abu Shouk stated, “Our acceptance underto advocate for reopening of the centres. scores that we want this centre badly and nothing will keep us from Initial efforts proved fruitless as there was no one in the Commission receiving the assistance that we need for our own protection and emto back up the agenda. A different strategy was needed. It was thought powerment.” that inter-Governmental advocacy would prove more effective. A series In August 2009, funds were approved for the Abu Shouk Women of meetings with the State Ministry of Social Affairs and the Adviser Center along with five others under UNAMID’s Quick Impact Projects on Women and Children Issues in the Office of the Wali were held to initiative. explain the dire situation of women in IDP camps, the urgency of reThe success of Abu Shouk has had a ripple effect on other IDP camps opening the women centers, and the willingness of the SGBV Working throughout Darfur. The UN family in Darfur is holding similar diaGroup to jumpstart the initiative. The Ministry offered to discuss the logue with communities and State governments to reactivate women matter with HAC on behalf of the SGBV Working Group. In February centres in their areas. Presently, UNICEF is conducting an inventory 2009, HAC approved the reopening of the Abu Shouk Women Center of all women centres in West Darfur and the support needed for their and the offer of support from UN agencies. operation. HAC officials and the State Ministry on Social Affairs are Unfortunately, community dialogue to discuss HAC’s decision were requesting the help of North Darfur’s SGBV working group to reach out put on hold following political tensions in Abu Shouk over camp leader- to IDP communities in Al Salaam, Zam Zam and Kutum IDP camps. ship and the decision of the International Criminal Court on 4 March Furthermore, World Bank representatives have already met with the 2009 to indict Sudanese President Omer al Bashir for war crimes. The Social Affairs Ministry, which has expressed its willingness to support expulsion of two INGO partners also proved to be a serious setback. the establishment of seven women centers in rural areas and to provide Then, there was a huge gap in providing protection and immediate as- facilities for vocational training. sistance to SGBV victims. The UNAMID Gender Advisory Unit is hopeful as, with the estabFollowing the ICC’s decision, conditions for the reopening of the cen- lishment of these women centres, the Mission’s mandate to protect and tre changed. The HAC was now asking for the State Ministry of Social promote a secure environment for internally displaced persons and Affairs to assume a management role. Additionally, it planned to re- refugees is being slowly, but surely, realized. According to UNAMID’s open all women centers in North Darfur. The assets seized from the Senior Gender Advisor, Yegerawork Angagaw, “The women center is IRC would be redistributed. This greater government role posed a di- a common space for voices to be heard, lives to be improved, and chillemma. The residents in the camps were strongly opposed to the Gov- dren to be nurtured and protected. This is a footprint towards sustained ernment’s presence and as bearer of the news, UNAMID risked being peace.” n perceived as pro-government. Another hurdle was to attract national NGOs to assist the IDPs in running the centres. Eventually, Practical Story by Aileen Villareal UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

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Increasing community policing centres in Darfur

Programme Manager Beneka Bali (left), with her uniformed colleagues at the Shangil Tobayi community police centre

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he AU–UN Mission in Darfur, also known as UNAMID, has been The construction project is ably supported by several military and consistently increasing the number of community policing centres police officers, including Lieutentant Colonel Osama Al-Naimi; Police (CPC) in Darfur to house UNAMID civilian police and their Darfurian Advisors, Ismail Taha, Joseph Donkor and Joseph Saidu; as well as milcounterparts who promote and ensure the safety and security of resi- itary engineer, Joseph Caulker, who have a common goal to reach the dents throughout the region. target number of community police centres in UNAMID’s continuing The purpose of the CPCs is service internally displaced persons (IDP) efforts to restore peace and security to Darfur. n camps and surrounding areas through the provision of crime prevention programmes. They are essential to the success of crime prevention and Story by Captain Pamela Helaga suppression, which reflect aspects of UNAMID’s mandate to protect (Pamela Helaga is a Police Adviser from the Philippines) civilians and promote a secure environment so IDPs and refugees can return to their homes in safety. Consequently, a team comprising civilians and uniformed personnel has targeted 74 locations on which to construct these centers. Since the launch of the project in March 2009, four centers, the most recent one in Shangil Tobayi, North Darfur, have been built. Currently, the CPC at El Salaam IDP camp, also in North Darfur, is under construction and the team hopes to complete its activities by mid-2010. Programme Manager, Beneka Bali, recently stated that “the Mission has struggled to build these CPCs throughout Darfur for the last two years amid various constraints.” But thanks to the vision of Police Commissioner, Micheal Fryer, the construction of the centres is now becom- Military personnel and police advisors ing a reality in light of the Mission’s efforts to lay the foundation of the Shangil Tobayi community police centre reduce violence and crime in Darfur. UNAMID News Bulletin - Issue 5, 2009

29 September 2009, El-Fasher: Visit of UNAMID and UN agencies to Korma, North Darfur, to evaluate the situation after the recent violence there. Photo: UNAMID - Olivier Chassot

UNAMID Bulletin is issued by the Communications and Public Information Division of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur www.unamid.unmissions.org