Arab League wants assurances for Sudan on the role of UN forces
Oct 11, 2006 (CAIRO) — The pan-Arab organization engaging contacts in order to find a solution for the Darfur crisis with Sudanese and international parties, by giving Khartoum assurances over the role of the UN forces.
The Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa on Wednesday said the Arab league was currently engaged in contacts with the concerned parties to the Darfur crisis.He further said that there are a number of ideas being mulled between the Arab league, the African Union and the United Nations with the view to move the current stalemate in Darfur.
For the Arab diplomacy, the purpose of this meeting should be to give Sudan assurance that that there are no plots against the regime or to divide the country.
Sudan told Arab leaders it would not accept the deployment of international forces that would deprive the government from its sovereignty in Darfur region: Khartoum means the UN police units, the right for the UN troops to investigate the violation of the ceasefire, the monitoring of the movement of armed forces in the region and the disarmament of these armed groups.
Arab sources said if Sudan obtains such guarantees, Khartoum would accept the deployment of the UN forces, an Arab source said.
A meeting is intended to be held at the headquarters of the Arab League’s Secretariat General in which representatives from the Arab league, the United Nations and the African Union would participate.
Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, presented such proposal Tuesday but he suggested to hold the meeting in New York. He added that the meeting should be between the secretary general of the Arab League (Amr Musa), the president of the African Union commission (Alpha Omar Konareh) and the president of the Security Council.”
The UN Security Council adopted resolution 1706 on Aug. 31 calling for the deployment of more than 20,000 international peacekeepers to replace the 7,800 AU forces in Darfur.
But the Sudanese government has rejected the mission transfer, saying it was a violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and an effort by the West to re-colonize the African oil producing country.
(ST)