Europe call on Sudan to accept UN force in Darfur

Oct 20, 2006 (LAHTI, Finland) — European Union leaders called on Sudan Friday to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force in the western region of Darfur.

“The U.N. operation is the only viable and realistic option for peacekeeping in Darfur,” Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said at a news conference during a one-day summit of European leaders. “We are all very deeply concerned about the situation.”

The U.N. Security Council has called for a U.N. force of 20,000 in Darfur, but not without the consent of Sudan’s government.

But Sudan repeatedly has resisted such a force, saying it would violate national sovereignty and could ignite anti-Western sentiment in the largely Muslim region.

An underfunded, undermanned and under-equipped African Union peacekeeping force has been unable to quell violence in Darfur.

(AP)