Nepali peacekeepers to Sudan in danger sans APCs: Report
BIMAL GAUTAM
KATHMANDU, Nov 5: The investigation team, sent to Sudan under the aegis of the Home Ministry and the Nepal Police, has come up with a shocking report according to which the 140 Nepali peacekeepers currently deployed in the Darfur region face a serious security threat as they are operating without armored personnel carriers (APCs).
The team concluded that the eight APCs sent to Darfur for the peacekeepers are sub-standard and useless.
Nepali mission in Sudan likely to return
UN says APCs are sub-standard
Over Rs 300 million embezzled
The team concluded that there was irregularity in the procurement process as well. According to the report, the lives of Nepali peacekeepers in Sudan are in danger as they are carrying out their duties without any APCs.
Security personnel are required to use APCs when they move around in sensitive security zones. The team has warned the government that if this problem continues any longer, the Nepali mission in Sudan faces uncertainty.
The team of senior government officials, which was in Sudan for 15 days to investigate the current state of logistics including APCs procured for the mission, returned Tuesday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had sent the team two weeks ago to find out the facts involved. The team, which is to submit its report to the home minister soon, says the APCs were rejected by the UN mission in Sudan as sub-standard.
"The UN´s inspection team in Sudan rejected the APCs sent by the Nepal Police," the report says. The APCs have remained useless for five months following the UN´s rejection.
According to the report, the Bangladeshi peacekeeping mission in Sudan provided their APCs for the Nepali mission for some time. But now the Bangladeshis have withdrew their support and the Nepali mission has been functioning without APCs.
The team uncovered mainly three facts regarding the Nepali mission. First, the team pointed out irregularities to the tune of millions. Second, it found the lives of Nepali peacekeepers under threat because they are functioning without APCs. And thirdly, the team warned that if the problem continues, the Nepali peacekeeping mission has no option but to turn back.
The total costs of the eight APCs procured by the Nepal Police for its Sudan mission is nearly Rs 300 million. "The Nepal Police has lost almost Rs 300 million as the APCs are rejected and useless," states the report. "The total amount of the embezzlement seems more than Rs 300 million," said an officer involved in the report preparation.
According to facts uncovered by the team, the Nepal Police procured the APCs from a Czech contractor. Bhagwati Traders, a Nepali contractor, was also involved in the procurement. The APCs and other logistics were procured during the tenure of then Inspector General of Police Om Bikram Rana. The procurement was made from the police welfare fund.
It has also been disclosed in the report that neither the then home minister nor any other Home Ministry official signed any document in the procurement process. "The decision was taken by Police Headquarters alone. The Home Ministry was only briefed verbally," an official involved in the study said.
Some 140 Nepal Police personnel have been deployed in Darfur. This is the second mission in Sudan. The government started sending a peacekeeping mission to Sudan 13 months ago. The first mission lasted for 10 months. The second mission has been deployed for the last three months.
"Since Darfur is a highly-sensitive area from the security point of view, no peacekeeping mission is allowed to move about without APCs," the report said. It further says, "The Nepali mission is performing its duty without APCs, thereby posing a security threat to them." The report has indicated the possibility of an assault by Sudanese rebels on the Nepalis.
"If the government of Nepal does not take immediate steps to solve the problem and the anomaly continues, Nepal is likely to lose its reputation for peacekeeping missions," the report states.
The report also says that the Nepal Police have lost USD 6,000 per month for each APC. If the APCs are used, the UN pays at the rate of USD 6,000 to the mission concerned.
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Nepali Peacekeepers To Sudan In Danger Sans APCs: Report
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