Tawila — UNAMID has deployed an additional 400 soldiers in Tawila locality, North Darfur, bringing the total number of soldiers to 600. A sheikh from the locality told Radio Dabanga that around 50 sheikhs and omdas, representing the four camps of Tawila, attended a meeting last Sunday organized by UNAMID and the local authorities.

The meeting was organized to discuss the security issues the mission is facing. According to the sheikh, the camp representatives asked what the purpose was of the additional deployment of UNAMID troops. He explained that the mission stated the additional troops had come to monitor and follow-up on incidents occurring in the area and added they were not only responsible for prosecuting and arresting perpetrators.

In addition, the sheikh said that the representatives criticized the mission's motives for the additional deployment of troops in the area and described it as 'useless', asking them 'to return to where they came from'.