Darfur: UN envoy condemns killing of Sudanese officials at camp for displaced

The United Nations’ top envoy to Sudan today condemned the killing of three Sudanese Government officials at a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the violence-plagued West Darfur region, and he urged community leaders to play a proactive role in preventing further violence.

In a formal statement today, Jan Pronk, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative for Sudan, expressed concern about the lack of security and the resulting deterioration in conditions in IDP camps that last Thursday led to the three members of the State Water Corporation, who were testing water at the Hissa Hissa camp, being beaten to death by IDPs.

In many such camps, Mr. Pronk said, “the conditions for the conduct of humanitarian activities are no long available or significantly affected by insecurity, which has been worsened by a wide availability of weapons.”

According to the recently signed Darfur Peace Agreement, responsibility for the internal security of those IDP camps under Government control falls to the Government in cooperation with the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission.

Mr. Pronk expressed hope that the AU will soon be able to re-establish its police presence in the camps, after it was suspended due to attacks on its personnel. “AU deployment inside IDP camps is crucial to ensure security within the camps and provide the adequate environment for humanitarian work,” he said.