UN Security Council not to act soon on Darfur aid expulsion- diplomats

March 17, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – The UN Security Council will not likely vote on any resolution this week regarding the expulsion of 16 aid organizations from Darfur, nor will the United
States yet push for UN authorization for a no-fly zone in Darfur, according to diplomatic sources in New York and Washington.

Since the arrest warrant issued from The Hague against President Omer Al-Bashir, the Sudan government ousted 13 foreign and 3 domestic aid groups. Referring to the expulsions, rebel leaders in Darfur have reiterated calls for a flight ban directed against Sudan’s air force, a measure that Barack Obama had said during a presidential debate on October 7, 2008 that he intended to take.

But today a spokesperson of the US State Department told Sudan Tribune that talk of a resolution soon on a no-fly zone was “rank speculation.” Another diplomat in New York indicated that it would be premature to say that any resolution at all will be proposed, whether or not it includes provisions on the no-fly zone.

However, the French, British and US delegations have held some preliminary discussions on advancing a resolution on the expulsion. As a humanitarian assessment mission wraps up its visit to Darfur, diplomats are expected over the weekend to debate the conclusions of the mission and the appropriate response.

During discussions in the Security Council this morning over Chad and Central African Republic, the aid issue in Sudan was not raised, according to a diplomat representing the United Kingdom. Reached by phone, the UK official characterized the closed consultations as mostly consisting of praise for the contribution of the European Union to the peacekeeping operation in Chad. He was unable to comment on the possibility of a resolution regarding the humanitarian operations.

According to a diplomat with the US Mission to the United Nations, the United States aims to either reverse or mitigate Al-Bashir’s decision to expel the aid groups. The official said that US diplomats have been meeting with “like-minded delegations,” the Arab League and the African Union. The head of the US delegation, Susan Rice, held a phone call March 9 with the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and also has discussed it with her Sudanese counterpart in New York, Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad.

The United Nations and expelled aid agencies have voiced urgency at the decision, appealing for a reversal, even as Al-Bashir stated Monday that not just the 13 already expelled agencies should leave the country, but all of them should within a year. Sudan proposes to replace the ousted groups with national charities.

But a UN official, who preferred not to be named, affirmed that the ‘sudanization’ of the aid operation would not be an acceptable replacement to the aid operation that already exists, reiterating the position taken by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes who had said Monday, “Foreign donors and aid organizations — whether they are U.N. organizations or NGOs — would not be prepared simply to hand over goods to the Sudanese government to distribute as they see fit because that would not fit with our humanitarian principles.” Only about 800 of the more than 14,000 humanitarian workers in Sudan are foreigners while the rest are Sudanese nationals.

Commenting from Chicago, the former US presidential envoy for Sudan, Richard Williamson said “I think it’s an unfortunate decision of the Government of Sudan to expel these aid groups who are vital to keep millions of people alive, who provide an irreplaceable benefit to fulfil the responsibility that the government has to take care of its people.”

The former official said, “It’s an issue which should be discussed in the Security Council and it’s unfortunate if any members of the Security Council are standing in the way of a presidential statement or other actions of the Security Council on this humanitarian crisis. Finally I think it’s a time for a diplomatic surge to try to move forward toward alleviating some of the humanitarian suffering and getting sustainable security. It’s a time for action both by the UN, but also utilizing the Qatar initiative, using the joint mediator Mr. Bassolé, and for the US to appoint a special envoy and get moving.”

Williamson himself had proposed to President Bush to target Sudanese aircraft, among other military measures, according to a memo leaked to The New York Times at the end of last year.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce Wednesday the appointment of retired Air Force General Scott Gration as his special envoy to Sudan, filling the post held by Williamson until this January.

(ST)