Namibia ready to intervene in Dafur

NAMIBIA says it is ready to assist the United Nations or the African Union to apprehend the Janjaweed militias in Sudan and to restore lasting peace and security in Darfur.

The Sudanese government has pledged to disarm the militia, but there is little evidence it has done anything and atrocities continue. Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the Government welcomed recent measures taken by the Sudanese government to meet the United Nations Security Council timetable to improve the dire situation in the Darfur region.However, it expressed concern about the 1,2 million people that have been displaced by the Janjaweed militia as well as the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded.”The Government is further disturbed by reports of sexual abuse and exploitation committed against Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) as well as the increase of Janjaweed militias in the West Darfur Region,” it said in a statement.Fearing an escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe, the Namibian Government said it was pleased that Sudan has adhered to the Security Council’s resolution and has unveiled steps and a timetable for action in Darfur.Last Friday, Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail presented the action plan during the third meeting of the Joint Implementation Mechanism (JIM) co-chaired by Jan Pronk, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative and attended for the first time by diplomats from some Arab states – Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.The Government implored Sudan to adhere to its own timetable and action plan to ensure that all militias were disarmed and that all displaced Sudanese people were returned to their respective homes within the stipulated time-frame.Sudan disputes the numbers, but the United Nations estimates that up to 50 000 people have been killed and about 1,2 million displaced due to the actions of the Janjaweed militia.Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the Government welcomed recent measures taken by the Sudanese government to meet the United Nations Security Council timetable to improve the dire situation in the Darfur region.However, it expressed concern about the 1,2 million people that have been displaced by the Janjaweed militia as well as the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded.”The Government is further disturbed by reports of sexual abuse and exploitation committed against Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) as well as the increase of Janjaweed militias in the West Darfur Region,” it said in a statement.Fearing an escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe, the Namibian Government said it was pleased that Sudan has adhered to the Security Council’s resolution and has unveiled steps and a timetable for action in Darfur.Last Friday, Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail presented the action plan during the third meeting of the Joint Implementation Mechanism (JIM) co-chaired by Jan Pronk, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative and attended for the first time by diplomats from some Arab states – Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.The Government implored Sudan to adhere to its own timetable and action plan to ensure that all militias were disarmed and that all displaced Sudanese people were returned to their respective homes within the stipulated time-frame.Sudan disputes the numbers, but the United Nations estimates that up to 50 000 people have been killed and about 1,2 million displaced due to the actions of the Janjaweed militia.