Konare presents African conditions for UN takeover in Darfur
Sept 22, 2006 (PARIS) — African Union Commission Chairperson Alpha Konare has said the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops to Sudan’s troubled Darfur region is “absolutely necessary” but he indicated that the UN would “come, but with a number of conditions”.
Speaking in an interview broadcast by Radio France Internationale on 22 September, Konare said that the AU force did a lot but the lack of resources leads the AU to wish the UN forces.
“It is for this reason that we hoped that the UN would come, but with a number of conditions”.
“That means this has to be done with the Sudanese government’s approval and we have clearly said that even if the UN was to come, the bulk of the troops would be AU forces; the command would be African and the AU political leadership will be there”.
“It is thus clear that we are facing some difficulties with the government of Sudan. The Sudanese government needs to be reassured, but we think that the arrival of the UN force is absolutely necessary and indispensable.”
To explain the deterioration of security in Darfur despite the signing of Darfur peace agreement, Konare said “the instability is less by the fact of fighting between the government and the rebels. It was not that at all. There was fighting between the rebel movements themselves.”
He also accused Sudanese official of opting for the military solution to quell the rebellion after the peace accords.
“Some political leanings, in Khartoum of course, thought, well, if we did not obtain peace after the agreement, after all we have military means to solve the problem. This is an illusion. This will lead us to a catastrophe because those who support the logic of war believing they have the ability to resolve the problem is only suicidal”.
“This means the strengthening of military troops and bombings by Sudan should stop. The Darfur problem does not have any military solutions”.
The Au official invited the holdout rebel groups to negotiate with the African Union.
“We are ready to listen to them. It is not a question of renegotiation, but where reassurance need to be given, we are ready to do it. Things cannot continue like this”.
Sudanese government and a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi signed the Darfur Peace Agreement on 5 May in Abuja, Nigeria. The other rebel groups rejected the deal saying the DPA does not meet their demands for more political representation in Darfur and on the national level, they also ask for individual compensations and more guaranties in militia disarmament.
(ST)