Amnesty International has criticised the international community for its failure to improve security in the troubled region of Darfur in western Sudan since the deployment of African Union–United Nations peacekeeping troops began just over a year ago.

In a new report entitled ‘Empty Promises on Darfur: International community fails to deliver’, Amnesty International illustrates the continuing crisis facing the people of Darfur and calls for the joint UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) to be provided with troops and essential resources, like helicopters, that will enable it to fulfil its mandate.

Amnesty International’s Africa Deputy Programme Director Tawanda Hondora said:

“Promises made to the people of Darfur that they would be protected through the deployment of a peacekeeping force ring hollow; UNAMID remains chronically under-resourced and attacks against civilians, including killings, continue.

“Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights are still exposed to rape and other acts of sexual violence. A climate of insecurity prevails and perpetrators act with impunity.

“The recent fighting in Muhajeriya is the latest in a series of clashes between government of Sudan forces and armed opposition groups, which led to the displacement of thousands of civilians and left scores dead.”

Amnesty International calls on the UN Security Council to ensure UNAMID is provided with the essential resources that were pledged when UNAMID took over from the African Union Mission to Sudan (AMIS) at the end of 2007.

Tawanda Hondora continued:

“Words alone are not enough. It is of no use to deplore violence in Darfur and deploy a force that is under-equipped. UNAMID must be enabled to protect itself as well as Darfuris. It is simply unacceptable that more than a year after the deployment of UNAMID, civilians still live in peril.”

Amnesty International calls on countries that pledged troops and other essential personnel to UNAMID to ensure that they are adequately trained and promptly deployed to Darfur.

It also calls on China, South Africa and Egypt to use their influence and ensure that UNAMID is immediately provided with the military equipment it urgently requires. The USA, China, Russia, Japan, Australia, Egypt, South Africa and European Union countries, among others, must pledge and deliver helicopters and other essential military equipment to UNAMID.

• read the report