Newly deployed M-35P in Nyala. Photo: UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran
It’s been a painfully long time coming, but last week, five Mil Mi-35P gunships settled in to their new home in Nyala, South Darfur. The Ethiopian helicopters – whitewashed for peacekeeping service – will in theory greatly enhance UNAMID’s aerial capacity. They represent a key force multiplier, essential in developing the mission’s rapid reaction capability, including emergency response and tactical intervention.
But after celebrating their long overdue arrival, the first thing on Force Commander Nyamvumba’s agenda was to ask for more. He has made it very clear that this is only one step in a series of many that UN and AU member states must take to provide his peacekeepers with the very best odds possible as they confront endless challenges in Darfur, an advantage they have not thus far enjoyed.
This means giving them the mobility and muscle needed to successfully confront hostile operating conditions, the adversities of which have been compounded by continued obstruction by both the government and rebel groups, as well as by violent attacks directly targeting the mission and its assets.
Amid reports of civilian deaths and mass displacement, recent events illustrate the complex reality of a place far from peace. The use of indiscriminate aerial bombardment by the Sudan Armed Forces against rebel positions in Jebel Moun and Jebel Mara has a disproportionately devastating effect on local populations. Rebel movements have likewise hurt Darfuri civilians by restricting both UNAMID investigations and humanitarian access. In at least one battle – which resulted in more than a dozen deaths, 31,000 displaced civilians, and serious human rights abuses, including sexual violence – highly placed military sources told me that “helicopters and aerial reconnaissance units would have helped…prevent the incident.”
In fact, over the last three months, fatal incidents have repeatedly highlighted the essential role of helicopters in life-saving medical evacuation, rapid investigations and assessment following clashes, tactical intervention and quick reaction capacity, aerial reconnaissance and monitoring, as well as troop and equipment deployment. The Mi-35P is only capable of fulfilling a small number of these tasks.
The Mi-35Ps – with their powerful 30-mm twin-barrel automatic cannons – bring exciting new strength to an operation consistently criticized for being weak and ineffective, but they are in reality only a few items on a long list of aircraft that UNAMID desperately needs to implement its protection mandate. The gunships, while important, have limited impact on the mission’s ability to negotiate Darfur’s harsh terrain, rampant banditry, and prohibitive lack of infrastructure necessary for the efficient movement of troops and equipment to the region’s hotspots. For that, UNAMID requires many more utility and transport helicopters.
For this reason, despite the arrival of the Ethiopian Mi-35Ps, Lt. Gen. Nyamvumba still indicates the lack of helicopters is the mission’s most significant handicap, and that he needs at least 18 to do the job. The Commander’s first concern is his troops: “How do I reinforce them, how do I extract those in danger?”
Just as important, Nyamvumba highlights the impact on UNAMID’s capacity to protect civilians. He warned, “We cannot deliver the mandate without the necessary equipment.”
Amnesty International documented GoS Mi-34 attack helicopters in Darfur
The effort to procure these resources is not new, and the violence that may have been prevented by more timely support is untold.
In 2006, Human Rights Watch urged the international community to provide the beleaguered Darfur force – then solely an African Union operation – with helicopters, which military experts deemed necessary for fulfilling the mission’s mandate to protect civilians and proactively enforcing its rules of engagement. In 2007, a joint NGO report urged fulfillment of the mission’s aerial needs and warned that without helicopters, UNAMID would ultimately be rendered ineffective. In 2008, to highlight the contrast between need and availability, the Future of Peace Operations project compiled a global inventory of attack, transport and observation helicopters in order to identify possible donors. In 2009, in a move welcomed by UNAMID, 22 NGOs once again highlighted the severe lack of vital aerial resources, notably helicopters.
Month after month and year after year, the UN Secretary-General has noted this highly problematic shortcoming in his reports to the Security Council, citing its crippling impact on the mission’s effectiveness.
It is therefore imperative that the arrival of the Ethiopian gunships signal the beginning of renewed attention toward helicopter deployment in Darfur. At the same time, advocacy and diplomatic pressure must be rigorously applied to fulfill the terms of the Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) and secure guarantees of freedom of movement and flight clearance from both rebel and government forces. With increased violence and approaching elections, UNAMID cannot afford to be grounded any longer.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: African Union, AU, Darfur, Government of Sudan, helicopter, Humanitarian Aid, Jebel Marra, Mi-24, Mi-35, Peacekeeping, Save Darfur, Sudan, UNAMID, United Nations
