Brown pledges support for peacekeeping force in Darfur
September 15, 2007 (London) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Sunday that Britain will probably provide technical support for the thousands of peacekeepers in Darfur, the vast, war-battered region in western Sudan.
He spoke as demonstrators prepared to march near his office in London to demand more action by governments such as Britain’s in the Darfur crisis.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp., Brown said: “The tragedy in Darfur is one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of our time.” He said a cease-fire is the key to moving forward in Sudan, warning that more pressure would be applied if that did not happen.
The African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission of about 20,000 troops and 6,000 police is expected to start arriving in the western region of Sudan next month. It will replace a beleaguered 7,000-strong AU force that has been unable to halt the bloodshed.
“It’s likely we will provide technical assistance, but it’s also likely … that we will give support to those African countries that are actually contributing to the force,” Brown said.
He provided no details, but Britain may provide personnel for the headquarters of the U.N.-AU force, and flights and equipment for its African soldiers and police.
Securing the U.N.’s approval for the peacekeepers was seen in Britain as a significant international achievement for Brown during his first visit to the United States as Britain’s new prime minister in July.
Next week, the U.N. General Assembly meets to further discuss the Darfur crisis.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of campaigners are expected to take to the streets in countries such as Britain, the U.S., New Zealand, South Africa and Japan to call for action in Darfur.
In London, the Global Day for Darfur demonstrators were to march from the Sudanese Embassy near St. James’s Park to Brown’s 10 Downing St. office to highlight the crisis in Darfur.
More than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been uprooted since ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government in 2003, accusing it of decades of neglect. Sudan’s government is accused of retaliating by unleashing a militia of Arab nomads known as the janjaweed — a charge it denies.
Brown supported Sunday’s protests, saying: “I can give the assurance that we are going to keep up our efforts as a British government, working with other governments, to make sure that this combination of opportunities … does make the difference that’s necessary.”
He appealed to the international community to ensure that the stepped-up peacekeeping force is on the ground in Darfur as soon as possible.
“I want to see the hybrid force in place before the end of the year,” he said. “I want to see it there, if at all possible, earlier than that.”
Hopes of a cease-fire were boosted Saturday when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Khartoum was ready to call a cease-fire when peace talks get under way in Libya’s capital on Oct. 27.
(AP)