Sudan blames UN for Darfur peacekeeping delays
November 28, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan held the United Nations responsible on Wednesday for delays in deploying some 26,000 police and soldiers to Darfur after the world body said Khartoum’s restrictions could derail the peacekeeping mission.
Jean-Marie Guehenno, head of the U.N. peacekeeping unit, said in New York obstacles raised by Sudan ranging from rejection of non-African troops, failure to provide land and operational restrictions on the force meant the mission’s viability was in doubt.
“The head of the peacekeeping operations Guehenno is working on different agendas which violate the directives of the U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Sudan’s state news agency said.
SUNA quoted senior foreign ministry official Suraj el-Din Hamid as saying President Omar Hassan al-Bashir had already issued directives to allocate all the land the mission needed, and that the United Nations had delayed meetings in New York to discuss the deployment twice in two weeks.
“The problems in dealing with the United Nations on this peacekeeping operation reflects the ability of the peacekeeping unit to direct this mission,” Hamid said.
Khartoum accepted the joint U.N.-African Union mission to replace a struggling AU force after months of diplomacy, threats and negotiations.
Critics have said the United Nations gave too many concessions to gain Khartoum’s support and that Sudan was insincere in its acceptance to win time while it continues military operations in Darfur.
Guehenno said Khartoum’s conditions, such as the ability to disable the joint mission’s communications during security operations, would make it impossible for the force to function.
The force hopes to offer better protection to more than 4 million Darfuris affected by the revolt in Darfur by mostly non-Arab rebels in 2003.
International experts estimate some 200,000 have died and 2.5 million been driven from their homes in almost five years.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for a junior government minister and a militia leader accused of colluding in war crimes.
(Reuters)