UN role in Darfur to be determined by AU within peace deal framework
May 25, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan announced Thursday that the African Union has to determine which role it wants the United Nations play in Darfur region. According to the peace deal, the AU oversees implementation of the security arrangements, a Sudanese official said.
The Sudanese government and the United Nations have agreed to form a tripartite committee, which will include the African Union, to review the role of the international organization in the Darfur region, Sudanese Foreign minister said.
During a news conference he held Thursday on the visit of the UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol said that “the tripartite committee will examine the role of the UN in Darfur, and that it is the AU that will oversee the security arrangements in Darfur in accordance with the Darfur Peace Agreement.
According to Akol, it will be necessary for the AU to participate in reviewing the future role of the UN since the AU is the one which decided to shift its Darfur mandate to the UN. In this regards, the AU must explain which aspects of its mandate will be transferred to the international organization.”
He said talks between the government and a special envoy of the UN secretary-general, Lakhdar Brahimi, had resulted in the realization that any role for UN in Darfur must be in harmony with the Darfur Peace Agreement.
The foreign minister reiterated his government’s refusal of deploying international forces under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which authorizes the use of force if the Security Council resolution is not complied with.
“There is no role for the UN or international peacekeeping force in Darfur, if the agreement with the UN — is going to be framed under Chapter Seven. Instead there will be a force to monitor the implementation of the peace agreement and not impose peace”.
Akol reaffirmed the government’s keenness to implement the Darfur peace agreement. He said that “the AU has done good work and has managed to achieve a peace agreement and should therefore be given the chance to reap the fruits of its work”.
The foreign minister reiterated the government’s determination to cooperate with the UN.
“We have no hostility towards the UN and we do not deny it any role in Darfur. However, we would like to know the level of mandate to be granted to a mission from the international organization, the UN, for Darfur; the number of troops, their deployment; and nature of their duties”.
Sudan has agreed to allow an African Union-U.N. assessment mission into the country ahead of a possible deployment of U.N. troops to enforce a peace deal in war-torn Darfur, a U.N. diplomat said.
The Sudanese government and the main Darfur rebel faction signed their peace agreement on May 5. Two other factions refused to sign saying it did not meet their basic demands.
Prior to the deal, Sudan had rejected a U.N. takeover from ill-equipped African Union (AU) forces in Darfur, but has since said it would negotiate with the world body over the mandate and size of a possible force in the western region.
(ST)