U.S. says Sudan will accept U.N. force, chides Russia

Aug 31, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The United States voiced optimism on Thursday that Sudan would ultimately accept U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur and said it was “inexplicable” that Russia and China had not voted in favor of such a force.

The State Department’s top official on Africa, Jendayi Frazer, said that after meeting Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir this week she believed he would consent to a U.N. force to end what Washington says is genocide in Darfur.

“What the government said to me very clearly is they welcome any effort to support and to strengthen the African Union forces that are in Darfur,” said Frazer, referring to the 7,000 African troops struggling to keep the peace in Darfur.

“I’m very confident that ultimately they will accept,” added Frazer, who carried a message from President George W. Bush to Bashir urging Sudan to drop its objections.

The Security Council on Thursday voted by 12 votes to none, with abstentions from Russia, China and Qatar, to create a U.N. peacekeeping force of up to 22,500 in Darfur.

“We think it’s inexplicable, in light of the very grave and serious and deteriorating security situation,” said senior State Department official Kristen Silverberg, of the decision by the three nations to abstain.

“We think their abstention was hard to explain, in light of their previous endorsements of the concept of an expanded U.N. operation,” she added.

The resolution also provided for an immediate injection of air, engineering and communications support for the existing African force, whose mandate expires on Sept. 30.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and up to 2.5 million forced from their homes since mostly non-Arab rebels in Darfur took up arms in early 2003 accusing Khartoum of marginalizing the region.

Despite a peace deal last May signed by one of the three rebel factions and the government, the violence has increased.

Frazer’s diplomatic mission to Sudan this week was difficult. Protesters dogged her and Bashir kept her waiting for three days before agreeing to meet.

She said Bashir had promised to send his foreign minister with a reply to Bush’s message, hopefully within a week or so.

During her talks with Bashir, Frazer said she voiced strong U.S. concerns over a buildup of Sudan’s military in Darfur.

(Reuters)