Sudan under mounting pressure over Darfur force

December 8, 2007 (LISBON) — The pressure was ratcheted up Saturday on Sudan for the deployment of a UN-led peacekeeping force to Darfur as EU leaders met President Omar al-Beshir on the sidelines of an ongoing summit here.

After the head of the African Union commission and UN chief Ban ki-Moon’s deputy called for the immediate dispatch of the hybrid UN-AU force, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates expressed their concerns about delays directly to Beshir in Lisbon.

Joao Gomes Cravinho, Portugal’s secretary of state for cooperation and development, described the hour-long meeting as “very frank” in which Europe’s concerns were “rigorously conveyed”.

In particular, the Europeans raised “the very serious concerns about the possibility of a break-up of Sudan” with Beshir in order “to encourage the development of a more serious dialogue with all the different parties.”

Socrates and Sarkozy were also accompanied to the talks by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU commission president Jose Manuel Barroso in a signal of Europe’s intention not to let the mission stall indefinitely.

Cravinho said the delegation had expressed their unhappiness over what they saw as “the difficulties posed by the Sudanese concerning the deployment of troops for the hybrid force, particularly non-African troops”.

“Very clear messages were sent today and I hope that we will see results in the coming weeks,” he added to reporters.

African Union Commission president Alpha Oumar Konare had earlier called for the immediate deployment of the so-called UNAMID force, appealing for funds for vital air cover.

“Without wasting any more time, we must deploy the hybrid (UN-AU) force,” Konare said in a speech at the summit’s opening.

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 which will replace 8,000 AU 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, UN 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 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)