World powers pressed Sudan on Tuesday to accept a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur to replace an ill-equipped African Union force that has been unable to stem the violence that Washington calls genocide.
The UN and aid agencies also urged donors at talks in Brussels involving UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the European Union, the United States and Sudan to finance the 7 000-strong AU force for a few more months before a UN takeover.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 2,5-million forced into exile in three years of fighting in lawless Sudan.
”I still am hopeful that we will get the Sudanese government to cooperate and to support the [UN] force because after all we are going there to help the government, we are going to help them protect their own people,” Annan told reporters.
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer told Reuters: ”To protect innocent lives in Darfur we need an international peacekeeping operation with the capability to address the complexity of the challenges.”
Frazer and the EU said a UN operation was the only viable option in Darfur in the long term.
Clash expected
World powers were set to clash with Sudan’s Foreign Minister Lam Akol as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jamal Ibrahim reiterated on Monday Sudan’s rejection of a UN mission.
The AU had wanted to hand its operation to the UN at the end of September but its leaders decided earlier this month to extend the mission until the end of the year because of Sudan’s opposition to any UN deployment.
Eight leading aid agencies called on Tuesday for the international community to focus on funding the AU to stop the killings now, rather than discuss the transfer.
The mission only has enough money to run until August and will then need at least $28,84-million per month — and more if it has to take on more tasks and prepare for the transition to the UN, EU officials said.
The agencies urged donors to make pledges to help the AU whether or not there is an agreement on a transition to the UN
Arriving at the conference, EU development aid commissioner Louis Michel said he expected donors would gather the money needed on Tuesday, but gave no figures.
Frazer said the US still hoped for a transition to the UN at the end of September and was not prepared yet to finance a prolongation of the AU mission.
The EU will give another €40-million for humanitarian aid in Darfur, a European Commission official said.
Violence erupted in Darfur in 2003 when non-Arab rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government, accusing it of neglect. Khartoum responded by arming a mostly Arab militia that stands accused of rape, murder and looting. — Reuters