The Spokesman of the Rwandan defence forces, spokesman Maj. Jill Rutaremara, has said that the hybrid United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur, (UNAMID), needs a stronger mandate and better equipment.

Rutaremara was speaking on Wednesday night at Kigali International Airport after the arrival of five bodies of peacekeepers who died in an ambush in Darfur recently.

"The problem the Darfur Mission is facing is that it does not have enough equipment or troops to implement its mandate,” pointed out Rutaremara.

Almost a year has passed since the United Nations Security Council approved the setting up of UNAMID  but the force is stunted. Only one-third of the troops are deployed, critical gaps exist in equipment and logistical support and the force has been repeatedly attacked.

Despite several nations’ outcry to have the mission fully facilitated, the mission also needs a stronger mandate and more resources to avoid losing more lives of its troops serving in trouble Darfur region of Sudan.

"After the recent attacks, peacekeepers have resorted to being more vigilant and using self-defence in case of any attack on them,” said the RDF spokesman.

The total number of Rwanda Peacekeepers who have died in war-torn Darfur has risen to 17 since the troops were deployed there in 2004. 

The peacekeeping force in Darfur is supposed to have 26,000 members, but has only 9000..

Rutaremara said that the UN should live to its promises and provide transport helicopters, surveillance aircraft, military engineers and logistical support to peacekeepers to safely navigate the remote war torn region.

Asked what would happen if the UN does not fulfil its promises, Rutaremara said:"If the situation gets worse, we are not going to pack our luggage and leave Darfur, but concerned authorities have to ensure that the mission is given a robust mandate.”

He said that the critical shortfalls in equipment hamper the force at every turn and that the UN must lead in ensuring that UNAMID has all of the equipment and personnel it needs.

The situation in Darfur was made more volatile by a request this week from the International Criminal Court for an arrest warrant for Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Sudan’s actions in the stricken zone.

Asked if the arrest warrant issued for President Bashir won’t hamper the peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Rutaremara said that the issue is political and that he was not in position to make political comments.

If the Sudanese situation worsens, and more attacks on the peacekeepers continue, some nations may threaten to pullout.

In his reaction, Rutaremara said that Rwanda’s peacekeepers are still firm on the ground and that the idea of withdrawing troops can only be decided by political authorities not the military.

"Peace does not come on a silver plate, there has to be sacrifice, and it is in this context that our troops are in Darfur.

There are risks expected but more so is ensuring that Darfur gains peace. The idea of pulling out of Darfur is not in the near future,” Rutaremara said.

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