African Union-UN peacekeeping mission donates supplies to women’s prison

The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur today donated supplies to a women’s prison in the western Sudanese region.

Following a request made last month for support by the detention centre in Khanaga, the operation, known as UNAMID, has contributed items, including cooking utensils and bedding. It also has approved the construction of accommodations for female prisoners.

Today’s donation to the prison in North Darfur state is a manifestation of UNAMID’s commitment to bolstering national institutions to allow them to better respond to people’s needs, the mission said in a press release.

Earlier this month, staff from UNAMID’s human rights and rule of law sections completed a four-day training course on human rights standards and prison management for 30 corrections officials working in North Darfur.

The training, the first of its kind in North Darfur, included such topics as the humane treatment of prisoners, particularly minors, pre-trial detainees and female prisoners.

The course, held in El Fasher, was funded by Switzerland through the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).