EL FASHER, Sudan,
May 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations-African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is
concerned about realizing stability and
peace in the region, at a time
when viewpoints varied over the
mission's ability to achieve its
goal in maintaining peace and
implementing its mandate in the
region.
However, most of Darfur
areas have witnessed a remarkable
improvement in the security situation,
the UNAMID is still concerned that
the relative security improvement could
collapse at any moment due to
complexity of the conflict in the
region.
The mission steers
daily patrols, from its headquarters
in El Fasher, capital of North
Darfur State, to get acquainted with
the security situation and stability
in the province.
The patrol,
which usually comprises of 10 to 15
vehicles with peacekeepers aboard, abides
by strict orders regarding movement
and routes and coordinates with the
local authorities concerning its routine
movement.
On Sunday, the
mission steered a patrol, accompanied
by a team from Xinhua, to Abu
Shouk camp for internally displaced
persons ( IDPs), some 3 km north of
El Fasher town.
The patrol
embarked its tasks in the camp
by receiving a report from Haqar
Adam Terab, a Sudanese police officer
on duty at the camp, concerning
the security situation and the
humanitarian conditions at the
camp.
Terab briefed the patrol
commander that the security situation
was completely stable.
"During
the past 24 hours we have not
received any reports on any crime.
The situations are perfect and we
hope it would continue so," the
officer said.
He further
responded to questions by the patrol
members on the ways adopted by
the police authorities to manage the
internal conflicts at the camp along
with the police's role in
resolving the issues.
As the
UNAMID patrol moved through the camp,
children waved to the international
peacekeepers, which indicated the growing
friendliness, though cautious, between UNAMID
and people of the Darfur
community.
The patrol arrived
at Khaimat Al-Omad, a meeting tent
for the Omdahs (chieftains) and
Sheikhs (the local leaders of the
people in the camp) who are
entrusted with running the camp
affairs in coordination with the
government authorities.
The situations
at the camp were better than
before, stressed a number of Omdahs
and Shiekhs, who enjoy great respect
within the camp community.
"Our
conditions are good compared to the
past, but our demands are still
confined to the importance of
provision of health, education, food,
water and security," Omdah Adam Ali
Mohamed, deputy chief of Omdahs at
Abu Shouk camp, told
Xinhua.
"There is a great
improvement in the security situation
at Abu Shouk camp, thanks to
the efforts of the government, UNAMID
and the Shiekhs and Omdahs," he
added.
For his part, Adam
Musa Adam, one of the Omdahs at
Abu Shouk camp, said that the
majority of the IDPs were willing
to voluntarily return to their home
areas.
"Around 80 percent of
the people in the camp are
willing to return to their villages.
We have not used to live here.
The homes are very small and
the living conditions are hard. We
want to return but provision of
security is still our concern," he
told Xinhua.
He further said
that UNAMID provided important services
in many fields including developmental
services, in addition to assisting the
local communities to overcome the
effects of war.
He, however,
downplayed the mission's role in
achieving security and stability, saying
"this mission is for peacekeeping,
while there is no peace on the
ground."
There are around 163,000
IDPs in North Darfur State,
distributed at five IDP camps,
including Abu Shouk, the biggest,
where around 50,000 IDPs live, besides
Al-Salam camp with 49,000 IDPs, Zamzam
with 39,000, Kassab with 26,000 and Fata
Barno with 24,000.
（Editor：MaXi、Yao
Chun）
