AU demands inquiry into Darfur peacekeeper deaths
April 5, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — The African Union (AU) condemned on Thursday the killing of five Senegalese peacekeepers in Darfur and criticised Sudan for imposing restrictions on the overstretched peacekeeping operation.
The killing of the five Senegalese guarding a watering point along the Chadian border on Sunday was the single deadliest attack against the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).
It brought to 15 the number of AU personnel killed since AMIS was deployed in 2004.
“The council expresses shock and outrage at the various attacks against troops of personnel of AMIS of late,” the AU Peace and Security Council’s communique said.
It demanded an investigation into the attacks and a halt to violence against aid organisations and civilians.
The pan-African body’s council, meeting for the last two days at AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, said it would work closely with the United Nations Security Council to end the violence in Darfur.
AU officials say their 7,000-strong force is overstretched and under-equipped to police Darfur, a region the size of France where violence has persisted despite a 2006 peace agreement between the government and one rebel faction.
“The council also expressed concern on the restrictions on AMIS troops and AMIS troop movement and this has been pointed out to the government of Sudan,” the communique said.
It added that Sudan had not permitted two aircraft from troop-contributing countries to land.
Sudanese officials had no comment after the meeting.
Diplomats said the meeting did not tackle the key issue of when or if Sudan will permit a boosted peacekeeping force to be led by the UN, as the international community has demanded.
Separately, AU peacekeeping officials and donors met in Addis Ababa to discuss how to fund the mission, which does not have enough money to reach the end of its mandate in June.
The council again appealed for more money. AU officials this week said they needed more defensive weapons and equipment to do their job properly.
Sudanese officials recently said they were willing to review U.N. proposals for easing the violence in Darfur but Khartoum has not budged on its opposition to the main plan to send in more than 22,000 U.N. and AU soldiers.
Experts estimate around 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have fled their homes since the conflict flared in 2003, when rebels took up arms against Khartoum, charging it with neglect. The government says only 9,000 people have died.
(Reuters)