African Union wants immediate deployment of Darfur force

December 8, 2007 (LISBON) — African Union Commission president Alpha Oumar Konare called Saturday for the immediate deployment of a U.N.-led peacekeeping force for Sudan’s Darfur region, appealing for funds for vital air cover.

“Without wasting any more time, we must deploy the hybrid (U.N.-A.U.) force,” Konare said in a speech at the start of a two-day E.U.-Africa summit in Lisbon.

While the government in Khartoum has agreed in principle to a 26,000-strong force of United Nations and African Union troops for Darfur, wrangles over its exact make-up and logistics have held up the deployment.

While the force will be made up mainly of African soldiers, rich Western countries are expected to fund the force known as UNAMID, which will replace 8,000 A.U. soldiers who have been unable to put an end to the bloodshed in Darfur.

Konare said it was vital that the funding be put in place to ensure the success of the operation.
“It is important that the resources of this operation, particularly air support, be beefed up,” he said.

In a speech earlier this week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the success of the mission was in danger due to a lack of equipment and pleaded with countries for 24 helicopters still not provided.

In a speech to the leaders, Ban’s deputy Asha Rose Mirigo also said that an “effective and robust peacekeeping force” was needed immediately.

“We are at a critical point” in the deployment, said the Tanzanian diplomat who also appealed for helicopters to bolster the force.

Plans for two envoys of Ban to hold talks with the Khartoum government on Darfur during the summit have been blocked after an adviser to President Omar al-Beshir said Sudan’s leader would not meet them.

UNAMID is tasked with ending almost five years of bloodshed in which more than 200,000 people have died from the effects of war, famine and disease in Darfur, while 2.2 million others have been left homeless.

The Darfur war pits black ethnic groups against Khartoum government troops backed by Arab militias.

(AFP)