Refugees International will be returning to Ethiopia and Sudan on an assessment mission to focus on the capacity and effectiveness of AMIS, the African Union Mission in Sudan, as it relates to the protection and security of the close to two million internally displaced in Darfur. We will be looking at the progress of the expansion of the AU monitoring force up to 7,700 troops, the challenges facing the AU troops in fulfilling their mandate, and the support that AMIS is receiving both externally and within Sudan.

Building upon past missions which have focused specifically on general security conditions, the contribution of the AU force, and the protection needs of displaced women particularly in the face of gender based violence, the RI team will examine to what extent progress has been made by the Sudanese government and the international community, including the AU troops, in improving security and protection for people in Darfur, particularly women.

With growing incidents of banditry in Darfur, RI will also be assessing the overall security and humanitarian needs of the displaced populations and look at the obstacles to the provision of food and other humanitarian assistance.

RI is starting the mission on September 8 in Addis Ababa, where the African Union headquarters is located, before traveling on to Khartoum and El Fasher and Geneina in Darfur. This mission will follow a separate joint Aprovecho/George Wolf Operating Foundation/Refugees International mission to Darfur, currently underway, focusing on the possibility of extending the use of fuel-efficient stoves in camps for displaced persons. The joint mission will also examine the protection situation in the camps and regions that they visit.