Abuja — United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has described Nigeria's Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to be deployed to the mission as substandard, saying they were not made for the desert and so cannot protect the troops.

The United Nations military team , led by Lt. Col Frank Leonhardt , which was in Nigeria from August 31st to September 2,2009 for a pre-deployment visit to assist, promote, and inspect the APCs to be deployed to the mission, said it was disappointed with the equipment , describing them as "zero standard" which falls below UN's expectations .

But the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOPs), Defence Headquarters, Major General Ishaku Pennap, while confirming the visit of the UN team, said a letter dated April 30, 2009 was sent to the UN to inform the team that Nigeria was not ready for the inspection.

"The UN visit was a surprise because we had written a letter to which the Defence Attaché had confirmed to us that it was transmitted through the department of peacekeeping to inform them that we were not ready for the visit.

"But I guess since Nigeria was not the only country pencilled down for the pre-deployment visit, so we cannot question that," he said

Pennap assured that efforts were already being made to address the situation. "It is dangerous to deploy troops with recovery vehicles. Vehicles needed are specialised vehicles like 4x4 suitable for the terrain in Darfur. During rainy season there are no roads but what you have is mud which tends to trap vehicles thereby exposing the troops to danger," he said.

The APCs inspected by the team included wheeled ambulances/rescue, command post, infantry carrier - armed - class II and recovery, truck water, truck tanker, truck utility/cargo, 4x4 jeep with military radio, truck maintenance, truck utility cargo and recovery trucks.

The UN team, which met with Nigerian senior military officers, was quoted to have also expressed disappointment at the serious shortfalls in the medical requirements.

The team said the APCs for deployment cannot protect the troops against environmental changes-related conditions such as dust and temperature changes and that the cultural, religious and societal differences were challenges to peacekeepers as they were incapable and unable to connect with locals.

The team stated that the health threats in Darfur are real and since peacekeepers are deployed under severe conditions, the working environment is stressful and has the potential to aggravate any pre-existing medical condition. It therefore requested that pre-deployment medical examinations be enforced.