Annan urges Sudan to accept UN forces in Darfur

Sept 23, 2006 (PARIS) — United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan urged Sudan on Saturday to accept UN peacekeepers in the troubled Darfur region and condemned a new bombing offensive by Khartoum’s army.

In an opinion piece in a French newspaper he said UN troops would be better-equipped than the African Union force that has agreed to stay in the region until the year’s end to help stop atrocities in Darfur.

The 7,000 AU forces have been unable to halt violence that has driven 2.5 million people from their homes and killed an estimated 200,000 since 2003.

Annan saidthe Sudanese government was at risk of “disgrace” and “shame” in Africa and around the world.

”I strongly urge the government to avoid such a situation by accepting the decision of the Security Council to deploy a UN peace operation that would be better-equipped and better-financed than the current African Union mission and would have a clearer mandate,” Annan said in the Le Figaro newspaper.

The United States and Denmark sought on Friday to increase world pressure on Sudan to accept the 20,000 peacekeepers, but Khartoum has yet to agree.

UN human rights monitors accused Sudan’s army on Friday of bombing villages in North Darfur, killing and wounding civilians and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes.

They also reported that sexual violence, which has been a feature of the conflict, continued in South Darfur, particularly near camps for the homeless near the town of Gereida.

“I strongly condemn this escalation,” Annan said.

”The Sudanese government should immediately stop this offensive. All parties should keep their promises and respect the resolution of the UN Security Council.” Annan said a solution to the crisis was not a military one and urged all parties to work towards a political accord.

(Reuters)

For French readers, the text of Annan’s Editorial :
Darfour : c’est au monde de convaincre le gouvernement soudanais