Sudan requests African forces to pull out of Darfur
Sept 3, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan has decided to demand the African Union to pull its forces out of Darfur by the end of September. The Sudanese government indicated that the AU transferred it is assignment to the UN which it refuses.
Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jamal Ibrahim told Radio France Internationale that the AU special representative to Sudan Baba Gana Kingibe would be convened Monday to ask him to convoy Sudan’s request that “the AU forces to be pulled out from Darfur by September 30”
Ibrahim indicated since the Banjul summit in July the AU decided that by September 30 if they could not continue their assignment in Darfur they will stop their operation and they will leave.
Khartoum has defied the international community and rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution passed on Thursday to deploy more than 20,000 U.N. troops and police to Darfur to replace the cash-strapped and ill-equipped AU mission.
State media reported the Cabinet said it would take over Darfur security, which “has improved, except for some violations perpetrated by the National Redemption Front which has refused to sign the agreement.”
The spokesperson said Sudan does not approve the AU decision to transfer their mission in Darfur to the UN.
“We feel that they have no right to transfer their assignment to another party — we are the ones who decide whether we continue with the AU or not,” he told Reuters.
He said the government would implement its plan for Darfur submitted to the Security Council, which includes sending 10,500 government troops to the region.
According to the Darfur Peace Agreement, the AU force is charged with observing a ceasefire, and implement the militia and rebels disarmament, with their departure , all the security arrangement will become de facto null and void.
But Ibrahim said Sudan was still committed to the May accord of which little has been implemented. Tens of thousands of Darfuris have rejected the deal and even attacked AU forces, who some say are no longer objective.
Tens of thousands have been killed since Darfur rebels took up arms accusing Khartoum of marginalising the arid region. Washington calls the rape, pillage and murder genocide, a charge Khartoum rejects.
(ST)