UN has only 9, 000 troops at Darfur takeover
December 19, 2007 (UNITED NATIONS) — There will be only nine thousand peacekeepers in Darfur at the beginning of 2008, along with 140 Chinese engineers whose drills to search for water will still be en route, by ship, from China.
As the takeover of Darfur peacekeeping to the hybride force approaches, a memo from the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations to the Security Council, published by the New York based Inner City Press, shows that at year’s end the peacekeeping force will consider of four battalions each from Nigeria and Rwanda, one from South Africa and one from Senegal.
Some time in the first two months of 2008, battalions from Egypt and Ethiopia are slated to deploy. Gambia will be reducing its force from 200 to 90. Also listed in the memo are police unit from Bangladesh and Nepal, and engineers from Pakistan.
About the listed 140 Chinese engineers, Inner City Press on Wednesday asked China’s Deputy Permanent Representative Liu Zhenmin to confirm a source’s account that the needed drills to search for water in Darfur will not be sent by air, but rather by boat. Ambassador Liu said that is true, the equipment is headed to Port Sudan and discussions are underway how to get it to Darfur. It is said that the cost of large Antonov cargo planes was deemed too expensive.
Another air transportation controversy concerns the UN’s lack of helicopters for Darfur. The UN has loudly complained that no country has offered helicopters. Well-placed sources have told Inner City Press that the UN in fact has 21 helicopters in Sudan, but cannot move them to Darfur, allegedly because this would violate some of Sudan’s rules.
UN spokesperson Michele Montas said “it’s not just a question of finding helicopters, it’s finding helicopters suitable for the Darfur area, in terms of dust and in terms of sandstorms and things of that sort.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Aug. 31 calling for the deployment of 26,000 international peacekeepers to replace the 7,800 AU force in Darfur, which is suffering the lack of funds, equipment and experience.
However The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno told the Security Council on November 27 that the UN may not be able to meet the deadline set by resolution 1769 as a result of Sudan’s objections to the composition of the force.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mutrif Siddiq on December 18 said that priority for participation in the hybrid operation is given to Africa and then to Asian countries, adding that there would be resort to other alternatives through the joint framework between Sudan government and the hybrid operation if sufficient forces can not be provided for any reason and in a manner that does not raise suspicion or fears.
He said that the United States is not banned to give assistance to Sudan in the fields of transport, humanitarian and political fields, stating that the priority to provide personnel is not for the United States or the European countries.
(Inner City Press/ST)