NATO mulls more help for African peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur
Feb 21, 2006 (BRUSSELS) — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is considering increased help to African peacekeepers in Darfur in response to mounting U.S. pressure for an intensified international effort to halt ethnic violence ravaging the Sudanese region.
However, officials say there are no plans for a major deployment of allied troops.
Diplomats at allied headquarters Monday confirmed discussions are underway for NATO to boost training, transport and planning assistance to the AU peacekeeping force of 7,000 which has failed to halt violence blamed for a humanitarian disaster which has killed an estimated 180,000 people.
U.S. President George W. Bush called NATO’s Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Friday to discuss the issue.
On the same day, Bush told an audience in Tampa, Florida, the peacekeeping mission should be doubled in size and given more help from the Western alliance. “It’s going to require a – I think – a NATO stewardship, planning, facilitating, organizing, probably double the number of peacekeepers that are there now, in order to start bringing some sense of security,” Bush said.
Also Friday, two U.S. senators introduced a resolution in Washington calling on NATO to send troops and impose a no-fly zone over Darfur. “Adding NATO’s experience and expertise to the African effort would quickly improve security, save lives and allows thousands of refugees to return to their homes. NATO should deploy troops,” said Sen. Joseph R. Biden who introduced the resolution along with Sen. Sam Brownback.
However, NATO officials say political sensitivities will probably mean that the alliance’s role will – for the time being at least – prevent the dispatch of large number of European or North American troops.
They point out any NATO deployment would need a U.N. request, with backing from Russia, China and the AU – which has stressed a preference for an African solution to the conflict.
“NATO has not received any formal request from the UN or from the AU for anything beyond what it is currently doing,” said NATO spokesman James Appathurai. “NATO is continuing to do what it has been doing for many months, and that is airlifting in and out African Union battalions…as well as providing training.”
NATO is looking at how it could do more as the U.N. prepares to take over direct responsibility for the peacekeeping force from the poorly equipped and funded AU force. The Security Council this month approved a U.N. takeover of the mission and the U.N.’s top official in Sudan, Jan Pronk, has said that could see the force expanded to up to 20,000.
However, NATO military officials say there is little enthusiasm among European allies for a full scale NATO mission and the U.N. is expected to continue to use African troops to provide the bulk of the peacekeeping force – albeit with increased back up from NATO.
Although a high-powered western force could be more effective militarily, many fear the political fallout – particularly if the mainly Muslim Sudanese government opposes a NATO deployment.
“If we do it through NATO we’ll give further encouragement to all those who are condemning the white man and are fueling the clash of civilizations, they will use it against us,” said Dominique Moisi, deputy director of the French Institute of International Relations, in Paris. “They will use it against us.”
However Moisi acknowledged the weakness of the AU and the U.N.’s difficulties in mustering a suitably robust force could force them to turn to NATO as a last resort.
The U.S. and several other nations have said genocide has occurred in Darfur. The Arab-dominated government in Khartoum has been accused of backing the Janjaweed militia against civilians in an area where black African rebels revolted in 2003. An estimated 2 million have been forced from their homes.
(AP/ST)