Sudan to study revised UN text on Darfur force

By: Wasil Ali

The Sudanese government said it will review the revised UN text on the UN-AU hybrid force before providing a formal response in the coming days.

Ali al-Sadig, the spokesman of the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that various government agencies will study the text and provide feedback on it.

The U.K. and France dropped a threat of sanctions against Sudan in the revised U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution that would authorize an expanded peacekeeping force in Darfur.

But Sudan’s U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, blasted the new document calling it “ugly” and “awful”.

However Al-Sadig appeared to be softening his government’s stance on the new text calling the revisions “positive”.

The Sudanese government main objection is the mandate allowing the force to “use all necessary means” to protect civilians. Khartoum also rejects any resolution under Chapter VII of the UN charter.

An unidentified government official speaking to Al-Hayat newspaper published in London said that Sudan is in contact with UK and France to convince them to drop the reference to Chapter VII and limiting the mandate of the force.

But the U.S. envoy at the UN Zalmay Khalilzad, said Monday that no compromise was possible on the resolution being adopted under Chapter VII of the UN charter.

The US special envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios said yesterday that Khartoum should not have veto power over the resolution.

The U.K.’s U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said that the African bloc at the UNSC South Africa, Ghana and Congo voiced their support to the revised text clearing the way for a vote by the end of the month.

Sudan is likely to face an uphill battle to modify the revised draft. Troop donor countries will not send troops to Darfur without a robust mandate to protect their forces.

The new draft states that the hybrid operation, to be called UNAMID, will have up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, a civilian component including up to 3,772 international police, and 19 special police units with up to 2,660 officers.

The Sudanese government agreed unconditionally to allow the deployment of the hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force in the Darfur region following talks in Khartoum with a delegation of the UNSC in June.

(ST)