UN resolution on Darfur force faces further delays
July 27, 2007 (NEW YORK) —The UN Security Council sought Thursday to iron out remaining sticking points in order to reach consensus on a draft resolution authorizing joint African Union-UN peacekeeping in Darfur.
China’s UN envoy Wang Guangya, the 15-member council chair this month, said input from South Africa, Ghana and Congo had led to an improved draft put forward by France and Britain with US backing Tuesday.
At the urging of the three African council members and to make the text more acceptable to Khartoum, the sponsors of the text dropped an earlier threat of unspecified sanctions against Sudanese parties that fail to fulfill their commitments or cooperate fully with the resolution.
But Wang stressed that some members still had problems with the draft, particularly the reference to Chapter Seven of the UN charter, used in cases of threats to international peace and security and to reinforce the mandatory nature of the text.
Council experts were working frantically to smooth over remaining hurdles and in parallel, the sponsors were also having bilateral discussions with Sudan’s UN envoy Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohammad, diplomats said.
“It is the view of many members that there is no need to bring other unnecessary elements into this resolution which might in a way delay the process,” Wang said, stressing the need to keep the focus on authorizing the deployment of a 26,000-strong AU-UN force to be known as UNAMID in strife-torn Darfur.
“Chapter Seven is a sensitive element in the current draft resolution and we have to be very careful how to handle that particular portion of the text which is under Chapter Seven,” Wang said, taking note of objections raised by Sudan, a close ally and energy supplier of Beijing.
One paragraph of the draft invokes Chapter Seven to state that UNAMID “is authorized to use all necessary means, in the areas of deployment of its forces … (to) prevent attacks and threats against civilians.”
UNAMID would also be able to use force to protect its personnel, ensure security and freedom of movement for humanitarian workers and “monitor whether any arms or related material are present in Darfur” in violation of UN resolutions.
“There’s an understanding on the need for Chapter Seven,” said an African diplomat on condition of anonymity. “We (African council members) are pushing for it. Our troops are currently in Darfur, our troops have died. We would like a robust mandate for them to protect themselves.”
Diplomats said China, Qatar and Indonesia were pushing for softer language on the use of Chapter Seven.
“The idea is to get everybody on board so we can get the Sudanese on board and we can have a smooth deployment,” the African diplomat said. “We are very, very close. I am confident that we are going to have something soon, but not this week.”
Last June, Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir gave his unconditional approval for the deployment of the joint AU-UN force.
UNAMID would take over peacekeeping, probably early next year, from 7,000 underfunded and ill-equipped AU troops that have failed to stem four years of bloodshed in the western Sudanese region.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when an ethnic minority rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, which then enlisted the Janjaweed militia group to help crush the rebellion.
According to UN estimates, at least 200,000 people have died from the combined effect of war and famine since the conflict started in February 2003. But Khartoum disputes the figures.
(AFP)