Save Darfur Canada UNAMID

SAVE DARFUR CANADA IS URGING PRIME MINISTER HARPER TO COMMIT MORE FUNDING TO THE JOINT UNITED NATIONS (UN) - AFRICAN UNION (AU) PEACEKEEPING MISSION TO DARFUR, SUDAN.

Canada's contribution to date has been but a drop in the bucket of the $1.5 billion UNAMID will cost in its first year alone.

UNAMID FAQ:

Q: What is UNAMID?
A: The joint African Union (AU) - United Nations (UN) mission being deployed to Darfur. It is one of the biggest missions in peacekeeping history, with a projected operations budget of $1.5 billion this year alone.

Q: What is UNAMID going to be doing?
A: UNAMID is charged with protecting vulnerable civilian populations and humanitarian operations in Darfur. Since 2003, the Government of Sudan and its proxy militia the Janjaweed have launched attacks on villages in Darfur to suppress political opposition. In the process, millions of innocent civilians have been caught in the violence - more than 300,000 people have died and another 3 million have been displaced. Civilians have become the targets of armed militia and government attacks. UNAMID will mostly be protecting people living in humanitarian aid camps, until those people can safely return to their homes.

Q: Why should Canadians care about UNAMID?
A: Canada has been working alongside the international community for two years to get a UN mission on the ground. We were also the 4th biggest donor to the AU mission before it - but the AU didn't have enough peacekeepers or resources to effectively protect civilians or to stop the fighting. Canada talked the talk to get the UN there to supplement the AU mission - and now it's time to walk the walk and support it financially. Without commitments from international donors, this mission will fail.

Q: Has Canada pledged funds to UNAMID yet?
A: In August 2007, Canada committed $48 million to UNAMID - but that won't go very far. As one of the richest countries in the world, we have the resources to increase our contribution. We committed over $200 billion to the AU mission in 2005... let's more than match that number in pledges to UNAMID by year's end!

Q: Why now?
A: UNAMID is supposed to be fully operational by December 31st - but it's lacking essential funding to make it happen. The Government of Sudan has also managed to delay the mission planning on many fronts, and the international community hasn't adequately held it to account. With the December 31st deadline looming, it's time for Canada to act!


For more information on UNAMID and what Canada can do, see the following sites:

http://savedarfurcanada.org/

http://www.DavidSwann.ca

http://amnesty.ca/take_action/actions/sudan_canada_action.php

http://www.standcanada.org/index.php/take_action