UN funding a prerequisite for implementing second support phase

By Wasil Ali

May 15, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government said today that it will not provide the logistics needed for the accommodation of the UN troops that will be deployed in Darfur, before agreeing on funding needs of the African Union forces.

In his statements by, published by the daily Al-Sahafa, the spokesman for Sudan’s foreign ministry Ali al-Sadek blasted the US and other countries for portraying his government as the stumbling block to the deployment of the heavy support package.

Sudan has agreed in April, after months of stalling, to the second phase of the AU-UN hybrid force known as heavy support package consisting of 3,000 U.N. troops, police and civilian personnel along with six attack helicopters and other equipment.

Al-Sadek said that the most important step is for the UN Security Council to authorize funding of the African Union forces so that African nations can come forward to donate troops to the joint UN-AU mission. He also added that the tripartite commission formed in accordance with the Addis Abbaba communiqué has proven very effective in resolving these issues. Al-Sadek stressed that it is up to the UN Secretary General to follow through on the financial commitments of the world body outlined in the Addis Abbaba communiqué.

The U.K., France and the U.S. have met with the UN Secretary General last week to express their concern about the slow progress in deploying the UN troops as part of the second phase of the hybrid force. Analysts say that Western nations are concerned that Khartoum is not serious about following through on its commitments.

(ST)