UN to Expand Darfur Peacekeeping Force

The current African Union (AU) force in Darfur, comprising some 7,000 troops and monitors from African nations, is expected to run out of funds soon, with no future commitments from voluntary contributors who have financed it to the tune of about 17 million dollars per month.

{josquote}The Addis Ababa-based AU released a report Thursday indicating its willingness to hand over its peacekeeping mission to the world body{/josquote}.

"The time has come to make a pronouncement on the future of the AU mission in Darfur and the ways and means to adapt it to the present challenges, including the handover to the United Nations at the appropriate time," the AU said.

Asked to comment, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters Thursday that the AU had indicated it would want to stay on for another nine to 12 months -- "provided the donor community gives them the necessary resources, and logistical support".

"If that logistical support and financial support doesn't come, they will run out of money by March," he warned.

"Obviously, the international community cannot allow that situation to go unaddressed, and in all likelihood will have to look at other options, including possibly the United Nations working with the AU to address the situation," he added.

Responding to a question, Annan also that if the United Nations is to get involved in Darfur, it would structure the military force differently.

Sudan, he said, is a large territory. "And I think whichever force is there with this kind of mandate has to be mobile, has to have tactical air support, must have helicopters and the ability to respond very quickly. So, it would be a different type of structure."

Annan said an expanded force would also need very sophisticated equipment and logistical support. "I will be turning to governments with capacity to join in that peacekeeping operation -- if we were to be given the mandate."

The current AU force is confined to troops from Africa but the proposed new force will have troops from outside the war-torn continent, he added. "We want government with military capacities to join," he said.

The AU, which is holding a summit meeting in Khartoum Jan. 16-24, is expected to take a final decision on the future of its mission in Darfur.

"Even if we are to take over," said Annan, "we cannot do it by March, so there will be a lead time, and we should not have a gap between the two forces."

Last week, Annan complained about the slow deployment of troops by the U.N. peacekeeping mission currently underway in southern Sudan.

"The pace of the United Nations military deployment has increased but remains behind schedule, owing to delays in the force-generation process," Annan said in a report to the Security Council.

As of mid-December, the number of troops with the U.N. Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) stood at only 4,291, or 40 percent of an expected total of some 9,880-10,000 troops.

According to current plans, the total number of military personnel deployed should exceed 7,000 by mid-February. "However, this is far below the foreseen requirement," Annan warned.

UNMIS was established in March 2005 primarily to monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which brought to a close a longstanding separatist war in southern Sudan.

UNMIS also continued to work closely with the AU mission monitoring the situation in Darfur, where violence and war crimes continue unabated.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which came into force 55 years ago, was meant to prevent war crimes, ethnic cleansing and serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, Annan said.

Last year, at the 2005 World Summit, world leaders collectively affirmed the responsibility of each individual state to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, he added.

"Today, as we recall our collective failures in places like Rwanda and Srebrenica, it remains my hope that we may never again be found wanting where so many lives hang in the balance," Annan said.

"The United States remains the only government to have publicly acknowledged that genocide is taking place in Darfur, and pressure is mounting for a new U.S. resolution at the Security Council next month to respond to the deteriorating security situation in Darfur," says Ann-Louise Colgan, director of policy analysis and communications at the Washington-based Africa Action.

After a closed-door meeting of the Security Council, Annan told reporters Thursday that the main topic of discussion was the deteriorating situation in Darfur.

"As you know, the killings are going on, the rapes are going on. There is insecurity for the internally displaced persons and also for humanitarian workers. We have lost access to some of the needy people, and we have had to remove some of our own staff from the area," he said.

Source: IPS - Inter Press Service News Agency

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