Nepalese Formed Police Unit arrives in Darfur

1 Dec 2008

Nepalese Formed Police Unit arrives in Darfur

19 October 2008 The 108 first officers of the 147-strong UNAMID Nepalese Formed Police Unit (FPU) have arrived today in Nyala, where they will be based for a one-year tour of duty in Darfur. They will be followed by the rest of the unit on 21 October 2008.

These officers were preceded, on 23 September 2008, by an advance party of twelve (12) Nepalese Police Advisors tasked with assisting in the preparations of the facilities earmarked for the Unit at UNAMID Super-Camp and the coordination of the logistics of the contingent’s owned equipment (COE)

Whereas Police Advisors are unarmed civilian police officers whose task is to conduct patrols, investigate incidents, monitor reports, conduct community policing in Darfur Internally Displaced Persons Camps (IDP) camps, as well as training, UNAMID FPUs are specialized, self-sufficient and fully mobile rapid reaction police units, entirely composed of police officers from a single contingent, with expertise in crowd-management and other police tactical operations.

They may be called upon to engage in high risk assignments and the protection of people in imminent danger, preventing attacks and threats against civilians, and in monitoring and providing security and protection in IDP camps, threatened villages, and migration routes.

Besides providing security, they will also assist national authorities and UN agencies in delivering humanitarian assistance in times of need and conducting escort duties in order to build the confidence of the local population in the rule of law.

The Nepalese Formed Police Unit is the third UNAMID FPU to be deployed, after the Bangladeshi and Indonesian ones, out of the 19 such units mandated by the Security Council resolution creating UNAMID.