Feature - UN Police Bringing HopeChanging Lives in DarfurOberlene Angela Whyte was warned that she was bound to fail as the first female Team Site Commander in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region. However, under the leadership of this UN Police Officer from Jamaica, the Tawilla (region) Team Site became a haven for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to shelter from the conflict.  UNAMID Police Adviser Oberlene Whyte leads a cooking day in a camp for internally displaced persons in Tawilla, Darfur. UN Photo Rather than being disregarded because she is female, as skeptics had feared, Ms. Whyte became fully engaged with the local communities, working with umdas (traditional leaders) and sheiks, women, youth and local police. She participates in all phases of community life, attending weddings, births and funerals. "I feel valued and appreciated by the community," Ms. Whyte said. "The people feel secure with the presence of the UN Police and they never fail to express it." Protection of civilians is at the heart of what the UN Police do in the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Community-Based Policing Community-based Policing is central to this endeavor, with 70 percent of the 2,000 individual police officers deployed in Darfur working with local communities. "My deployment with UNAMID has been a tremendous experience, equipping me with the skills and knowledge to appreciate and to coexist with people of different cultures, religion and ethnic background," she added. Ms. Whyte supervises four Community Policing Centres, which recruits Community Policing Volunteers, provide security for IDPs and build the capacity of the local police in the areas of human rights, investigation techniques and gender-based violence. Human Rights  UNAMID Police Adviser Oberlene Whyte leads a cooking day in a camp for internally displaced persons in Tawilla, Darfur. UN Photo "We take every opportunity to educate the community on gender issues. For example, we explain that female mutilation is an abuse of internationally recognised human rights, we remind the men that good men don’t abuse women, good men take care of their families and they need to educate their girls and protect their children," she noted. Ms. Whyte organized ongoing English classes for IDPs, finding a former teacher in the community to conduct lessons. UN Police Officers used their own funds to provide books, blackboards and stationary. Education "The umdas and sheiks were very excited about the classes and the women most of all were elated at the prospect of learning English. The participants are now able to communicate in English, which for me is a very rich reward," Ms. Whyte said. Ms. Whyte formed women’s groups in Tawilla IDP Camp, Tawilla Town and Umburunga. "We are very pleased with the outcome as the women came to acknowledge that being in a structured group is better for representation, advancement of the issues that affects them and in garnering the help they so desperately need," she said. Strength  A UN Police Convoy travelling to an IDP camp in Darfur. UN Photo "It was very rewarding to see how interested the women were in having their meetings and how excited they were to be part of a women’s union and to speak about issues that affect them." But UN Police Officers face enormous challenges, above all the lack of resources available to IDPs. "The suffering of the people, especially, the women and children, is insurmountable and very painful, from the lack of water to the lack of livelihood skills," Ms. Whyte said. "Seeing local soldiers die after a combat, seeing mothers giving birth in makeshift houses with no ceilings, seeing women walk for eight hours in one direction to collect firewood … the challenges are many," she added. Hope Ms. Whyte said her experience with UNAMID has been a steep learning curve. "I have learnt the art of negotiation, which is a part of my daily work with the community, and communication with different people who have varied needs and problems," she said. "I have learnt to be humble when I see how people, especially women, survive in such difficult situations and still find the spirit to laugh." |
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