Rights Group Urges UN To Fulfill Commitments, Fully Deploy Peacekeepers To Prevent Future Attacks

NEW YORK— In response to the deadly attack today on the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) in Darfur, that left at least seven dead, many injured and others missing, Betsy Apple, director of Human Rights First’s Crimes Against Humanity program, issued the following statement.

“Human Rights First deplores the deadly attack today on peacekeepers in Darfur.

While shocking in its scope, that the attack happened is hardly surprising given that less than half of the mandated peacekeeping forces in Darfur have been deployed, making those on the ground far more vulnerable.

This is at least the third such attack in less than two months on UN personnel and peacekeeping forces in Darfur. What more cause do members of the UN Security Council need to take meaningful action to ensure that all parties to the Darfur conflict—the government of Sudan, their proxy militias, and rebel groups alike—comply with previous cease-fire and peace agreements and return to the negotiating table.

The Security Council’s failure to enforce its own resolutions requiring rapid and complete deployment of UNAMID and prohibiting the flow of arms to Darfur is contributing to the increasing destabilization of the region.”