British troops may join UN Darfur force – report

Jan 14, 2006 (LONDON) — The United Nations is to ask Britain to provide troops for a beefed-up peacekeeping force to tackle an upsurge of violence in Darfur, the Edinburgh based Scotsman reported.

Prime Minister Tony Blair meets British troops in Basra, Iraq .

British military sources said yesterday that Britain would “actively consider such a request”.

Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, appears to have run out of patience with the Sudanese government and has made it clear that it must now accept international troops on its territory to bring peace to a region devastated by a campaign of ethnic cleansing which has left more than 300,000 dead.

Speaking after meeting members of the UN Security Council, which has consistently failed to take a hard line, Mr Annan said that he was seeking a mandate to stop the bloodshed, rape and plunder.

“We need to get the [Sudanese] government to work with us in bringing in an expanded force with troops from outside Africa, because until recently it has maintained that it will only accept African troops,” he said. “But I think we have gone beyond that now.”

He said he hoped that the United States and European nations would be prepared to participate in a UN force.

UN sources told The Scotsman that the UK would be expected to be “instrumental” in bringing to bear political pressure for such a mission and in providing components of the force.

About 6,000 African Union (AU) troops are currently trying to prevent escalating violence in Darfur, with a mandate to monitor cease-fire violations but limited powers to intervene.

A decision on the future of the force could be made as early as 23 January when the AU meets in Khartoum.

Military analysts and human rights groups have suggested that the force needs at least to double in size to be effective.

Emyr Jones Parry, Britain’s UN ambassador, said that the Security Council wanted to turn the AU force into a UN force. “We’re quite clear that’s what we need to do if the African Union agrees, but the African Union must be brought to agree.”

Sources within the Ministry of Defence said that any request would be treated sympathetically.”We would actively consider any request from the UN,” said one.

Britain has previously floated the idea of sending troops to Darfur.

The African Union welcomed Mr Annan’s suggestion of a UN peace-keeping role.

But the Sudanese government, which has been blamed for much of the violence in the region, rejected the suggestion, saying the international community should give more cash to African forces already on the ground.

Russia and China, whose support would be needed in any Security Council resolution to deploy additional troops, have traditionally opposed sending non-African forces to Darfur. Their position on Mr Annan’s proposal remains unclear.

The Darfur conflict began in February 2003 when rebels launched an uprising against Khartoum, accusing the government of marginalising the impoverished area. The government dispatched Arab militias to put down the rebellion, but they have been the perpetrators of rape, looting and murder.

(Scotsman)