SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Institute for Security Studies - UNAMID should stay in Darfur to protect civilians until the political transition in Sudan is sustainable
Meressa K Dessu, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, calls for the joint UN-African Union (AU) mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to remain until Sudan’s political transition can be sustained and the government is capable of civilian protection.
Dessu also calls for UNAMID to persuade armed groups to participate in Sudan’s transitional government process and support the political transition, noting that its substitute, the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), lacks the AU’s political leverage in Sudan.
Dessu also identified three interrelated causes for the rise in Darfur violence: first, the underlying causes of the conflict remain unresolved, with displaced people attacked by Arab militias when attempting to return to their land.
Secondly, UNAMID’s effectiveness is reduced by its drawdown.
Third, the reduction in humanitarian aid for internally displaced people forces them to exit their camps to farm or trade, thereby making them vulnerable to attacks.