Darfur / UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on the second leg of his trip

 

 EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, October 13, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the offices of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General and the spokesperson for the General Assembly President

 

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, left El Fasher this morning for El Geneina, West Darfur, on the second leg of his trip in Darfur.

 

He is expected to proceed to Nyala, South Darfur, later this afternoon, and is scheduled to meet with local authorities, visit a number of internally displaced persons camps and meet with UNAMID staff.

 

Yesterday in El Fasher, he met with IDP representatives from three camps in North Darfur to listen to their concerns.  They requested an increase in UNAMID presence in and around the camps to ensure security and protection of civilians.

 

Mr. Le Roy reassured them that UNAMID is taking their concerns very seriously and has adopted a number of measures to address the current situation, including plans to deploy at least 4,500 troops by the end of this year — bringing the total deployment level to about 65 per cent of the mandated troop levels.

 

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in consultation with UNAMID, is also reviewing plans to increase police and Formed Police Units in the camps.

 

During his meetings with local civil society representatives from the different parts of North Darfur, whom he referred to as “natural allies” in the peace process in the region, civil society representatives pointed out that the only way to achieve peace in Darfur is to “pressurize” all stakeholders in the Darfur process to come to the negotiating table.  There’s a press release with more information on Mr. Le Roy’s visit to Sudan upstairs.

 

SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General