Police Advisers Ensure Safety, Security for Darfur’s Communities

UNAMID’s Police component focuses on direct cooperation and coordination with Darfur’s communities as well as the local policing framework to safeguard innocent civilians caught in the ongoing conflict in the region.

The security situation in Darfur, while always a cause of concern, has witnessed a sharp increase in criminality in recent times. Innocent civilians have become victims of armed attacks and conflicts which have led to mass displacements. Additionally, frequent carjackings, kidnappings and attacks on United Nations (UN) personnel have created challenging circumstances for UNAMID and the humanitarian actors it facilitates.  

One of the key actors in helping stabilize the volatile situation on the ground is the Mission’s Police component. The UN has been deploying police officers for service in peace operations since the 1960s. Traditionally, the mandate of police components in peace operations was limited to monitoring, observing and reporting. From the early 1990s, advisory, mentoring and training functions were integrated into the monitoring activities. This was to allow peacekeeping operations to act as a corrective mechanism with domestic police and other law enforcement agencies.

Over the years, the need for police personnel to help implement Security Council mandates has increased enormously. The number of UN police officers authorized for deployment in peacekeeping operations and special political missions has risen from 5,840 in 1995 to more than 13,500 in 2012. 

In Darfur, a total of 1,302 Police Advisers and 13 FPUs, composed of 140 personnel each, from more than 30 different countries serve with UNAMID and are working round-the-clock to implement  a core aspect of the Mission’s overall mandate—protection of civilians.  

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