UNAMID’s publication for the people of Darfur MAY 2012 INSIDE the AU-UN PARTNERSHIP Working Together for Peace in Darfur ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Border Conflict and the A New Agricultural Theory Focusing on Early Recovery Threat to Civilians Comes to Darfur and Development UNAMID’s approach to Thai peacekeepers work with Mohamed Yonis on UNAMID’s mitigating the risk Darfuri farmers challenges and successes AFRICAN UNION - UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN DARFUR (UNAMID) IN THIS ISSUE May 2012 | Vol III • No.4 TIMELINE 01 | April at a glance COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC PEACEKEEPING INFORMATION DIVISION 02 | AU, UN Work Together for Peace in Darfur Director Dysane Dorani 05 | UNAMID DJSR Mohamed B. Yonis on Early Recovery Deputy Director Susan Manuel and Development PUBLICATIONS PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS Head of Publications 8 | Peacekeepers Boost Security with Night Patrols Kirk L. Kroeker Public Information Officers 9 | Border Conflict and the Threat to Civilians Ala Mayyahi Abdullahi Shuaibu Emadeldin Rijal AGRICULTURE 10 | A New Agricultural Theory Comes to Darfur Public Information Assistant Sharon Lukunka COMMUNITY Graphic Designer Arie Santoso 12 | Horses Draw People Together in Darfur CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS Media Relations Officers Guiomar Pau Sole Rania Abdulrahman PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer Albert Gonzalez Farran Front Cover Photo: Albert Gonzalez Farran Back Cover Photo: Albert Gonzalez Farran UNAMID Communications and Public Information Division (CPID) Email: [email protected] Website: http://unamid.unmissions.org facebook.com/UNAMID twitter.com/unamidnews The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNAMID con- cerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Material contained in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, provided credit is attributed to UNAMID. TIMELINE APRIL Nomadic groups from across 11 Darfur call for a more coordi- nated and systematic approach APRIL to international assistance to ensure that all communities can benefit from the aid. The proposal comes during a forum AT A in El Fasher, North Darfur, organized by the international nongovernmental organization Centre for Humanitarian GLANCE APRIL More than 600 students from Dialogue. While the Centre has been 1 El Fasher University in North organizing several workshops for Dar- APRIL Unidentified gunmen attack a Darfur celebrate their gradu- fur’s nomadic communities, the event is 20 UNAMID formed police unit ation with the signing of a Pledge for the first to gather groups from around (FPU) patrol from Togo, injur- Peace in a ceremony organized jointly by the region. UN agencies and UNA- ing two FPU officers. The team of 32 of- the institution and UNAMID. MID, which highlighted their support of ficers had been patrolling in the Sisi IDP Darfur communities during the forum, camp and were returning to their base APRIL The first workshop on the pledged to ensure that the necessary as- camp in Mourne, West Darfur, about 2 Doha Document for Peace in sistance reaches all Darfuris. 70 kilometres southeast of El Geneina. Darfur, involving the Darfuri After the arrival of a rescue team, the community residing in Khartoum, is or- APRIL Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, UNA- combined units started to move back to ganized by civil society leaders and UN- 12 MID Joint Special Represen- the base at Mourne and were ambushed AMID, in coordination with the Darfur tative and Joint Chief Me- again by gunmen, who shot and injured Regional Authority. Nearly 200 Darfuri diator ad interim, briefs the press in two additional FPU officers. On 22 April participants attend the event. Khartoum on the latest security, politi- one of the four FPU members dies from cal and humanitarian development in his injuries in UNAMID hospital in EL APRIL On the occasion of the Interna- Darfur. tional Day of Mine Awareness, Geneina, West Darfur. 4 UNAMID joins the “Lend Your Leg” campaign with a simple gesture of APRIL Nigerian Minister of Defence, rolling up a pant leg to draw attention to 22 Dr. Bello Mohammed, says the damage landmines still cause and to Nigeria will soon upgrade its demonstrate solidarity with all survivors military-owned equipment in line with of landmines and other explosive rem- UN standards and explore ways to in- nants of war. crease its support to UNAMID. Dr. Mohammed led a delegation to El Fash- APRIL UNAMID Peacekeepers and er, North Darfur, to review Nigeria’s the Darfur community in El APRIL UNAMID inaugurates 10 class- operations in the Mission and to map 7 Fasher pay tribute to the vic- rooms in three schools at the out new strategies to help contribute to tims of Rwanda’s genocide that left an 19 Abu Shouk internally displaced peace and security in Darfur. “Nigeria estimated 800,000 people dead in 1994. persons camp near El Fasher, North has committed a lot of efforts and men The tribute, tagged “Learning from Our Darfur. The schools were built by Rwan- to UNAMID because we feel this is an History to Build a Bright Future,” was dese peacekeepers as part of the Mis- African situation and we have a respon- part of the 18th commemoration of the sion’s quick-impact projects. sibility to contribute to resolve it,’’ the genocide against the Tutsis and moder- Minister says. ate Hutus, who were murdered in Rwan- APRIL JSR Gambari expresses con- da, mostly by machete. 17 cern over developments in APRIL In his 26 April briefing to the southern Darfur, following UN Security Council, Hervé APRIL The newly appointed Chairper- attacks by armed movements on three 24 Ladsous, Under-Secretary-Gen- son for the National Commis- towns. “In the climate of ongoing ten- eral for Peacekeeping Operations, out- 10 sion for Human Rights, Ms. sions between Sudan and South Sudan, lines developments in Darfur and pro- Amal Hassan Babiker Altinay, arrives in I am deeply concerned that armed poses changes for UNAMID in the com- El Fasher, North Darfur, as part of a movements are seeking to destabilize ing year. He calls on signatory parties to five-day visit to the region. The purpose Darfur,” he says. “Such actions could the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur of the trip is to meet people who have undermine the precious peace which to implement their commitments to it. been affected by the conflict and to raise has been advancing in Darfur since awareness of the protection of human the signing of the Doha Document rights under the country’s laws. for Peace in Darfur.” VOICES OF DARFUR 1 PEACEKEEPING AU, UN Work Together for the relationship between the UN and regional organizations, especially the AU. Peace in Darfur The Council adopted resolution 2033 (2012), reiterating the importance of Different organizations have different approaches to any establishing a more effective relationship partnership; the question in the AU-UN partnership has been how to between it and the AU’s Peace and manage those differences most effectively. Security Council. The relationships the UN has BY SHARON LUKUNKA fostered in Africa—which include cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community—have focused on enforcing peace or mediating conflict, as in the case of the UN’s support to the AU Mission in Somalia. Arguably, the most well-known partnership between the two organizations is UNAMID, the AU-UN Mission in Darfur, which was created in July 2007 with the handing over to the UN of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) through an agreement with the AU. Forming the UNAMID partnership was no small undertaking, particularly with challenges stemming from differences in approaches to peacekeeping. Political scientists, such as Dr. Solomon Dersso, PHOTOS BY ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, have characterized the n recent years, the African Union former European Commission Presi- relationship between the AU and UN as I(AU) and United Nations (UN) have dent Romano Prodi, submitted a report more ad hoc than systematic, a trait that been working toward developing a suggesting ways to enhance cooperation is typical of peacekeeping missions in durable partnership designed to facilitate between the two organizations. The re- the start-up phase. peace, security and stability in Darfur. port proposed developing the strategic While some might consider certain While detractors in the media have been relationship between UN and AU, in par- aspects of the AU-UN partnership still quick to call attention to aspects of the ticular between the UN Security Council to be ad hoc, Joachim A. Koops, a Senior AU-UN partnership in Darfur that have and the AU Peace and Security Council; Associate Researcher at the Institute been less than successful, others have having the UN provide resources to AU for European Studies (IES), points to pointed to the hybrid mission as the peacekeeping; funding UN-authorized progress in the AU-UN relationship most viable paradigm for addressing the AU missions for six months before the UN in a paper titled “Peace Operations challenges associated with modern-day takes over such missions; and establishing a Partnership.” But in the paper he also peacekeeping operations in Africa. trust fund to finance such missions. points to the challenges that remain, It all started in March 2005 when In September 2010, UN Secretary- especially in terms of political issues former UN Secretary-General Kofi General Ban Ki-moon and Chairperson and doctrine. “Doctrinal issues include Annan presented his “In Larger of the African Union Commission questions about whether it is useful Freedom” report to the UN General Jean Ping launched the UN-AU Joint or not to intervene even if there is no Assembly.