Khartoum, Sudan, November 5 (Infosplusgabon) – The UN African Union Peace keeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has again called on the Sudanese government to avoid forceful entries into camps for internally displaced persons with the aim of collecting firearms from civilians, a part of a government arms collection campaign.
A UNAMID press release, received by Infosplusgabon in Khartoum, said on the 2nd of November 2017, armed government forces entered the Kalma IDP camp, South Darfur, “in a show of force” to conduct a weapons collection campaign in the state.
The release said UNAMID peacekeepers on the ground during the incident reported that more than 100 government military vehicles, including trucks with mounted weapons and armored personnel carriers, briefly entered parts of the camp.
The release quoted UNAMID joint representative as saying that while the UNAMID acknowledges the significance of the ongoing arms collection exercise, it regrets that the entry by the Government forces to Kalma IDP camp was not coordinated with the mission to avoid any potential tension and violence.
“We call on the Government and IDPs to work with UNAMID in a collaborative way in order to advance the weapons collection campaign.” UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Jeremiah Mamabolo, was quoted Saturday as saying.
The release added that following Thursday’s incident, UNAMID continues to engage with government authorities and Kalma IDP camp leaders in accordance with its protection of civilians mandate.
FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/THG/GABON 2017
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