Document - Sudan: Empty Promises on Darfur: United Kingdom factsheet

Empty promises on Darfur

united kingdom Fact sheet

The UK has played an important role in the deployment of UNAMID.

During 2007, the UK provided £65 million to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), part of which was used to purchase more than 900 vehicles and to support the airlift of AMIS

When the combined United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force UNAMID took over from AMIS on 1 January 2008, the UK apparently had four military personnel in Darfur.

PLEDGES BY THE UNITED KINGDOM

On 31 July 2007, the UK reportedly stated that it would send 100 troops to Darfur, and provide up to £100 million in logistical and economic support to UNAMID.¹

CURRENT STATUS

It is reported that by end of December 2008, the UK had deployed one police and five military officers to UNAMID².

According to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), by August 2008, the UK had transferred £4 million to the USA – which is the co-chair of the Friends of UNAMID group - to be used for the training and equipping of UNAMID troops, the majority of whom are being provided by African countries.^3,

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The UK should deploy all of the personnel it pledged to UNAMID.

• The UK should pledge and deliver helicopters and other essential equipment to UNAMID to enable it to fulfil its protection mandate

• The UK should work with other countries to ensure that UNAMID is provided with all necessary air and ground transport equipment, as well as other essential human, material and financial resources.