Few troops available for Darfur, U.S. senator says.
By Victoria Cutler
LONDON, Aug 6, 2004 (Reuters) — The international community would have few troops to spare for any military intervention in Sudan’s Darfur region if this were to become necessary, a senior U.S. Republican senator said on Friday.
Richard Lugar, chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on a visit to London that many standing armies were already overstretched.
“Secretary (of State Colin) Powell … indicated we’ve not ruled out any options including military force, but I would just simply say as a practical matter … that (in) most countries, no one seems to be available,” he said.
“As a result, for the moment, we are attempting … through the United Nations forum to gain the attention of the Sudanese.”
Lugar, who is visiting Europe during the U.S. congressional summer recess for annual meetings and consultations with officials, said he had asked the German government how many troops it had available to send abroad.
“The answer is still 30,000, no more, no less – only one third of them available at any one time to go anywhere.”
FORCES STRETCHED
He said Britain had to make great efforts to find “at least a few thousand” more troops who could go to Afghanistan, Iraq or other places and that France had limited troops available.
“The rest of the countries have very, very small forces and no extra capacity,” he added.
A revolt broke out in western Sudan in early 2003 among villagers who speak African languages. The government turned to the existing Janjaweed militias, drawn from the nomadic Arab population, as auxiliary forces to suppress the rebels.
Rebels and human rights organisations say the Janjaweed, who have long competed with the settled population for land, went on a rampage, setting fire to villages, killing, raping and driving more than a million people off their land.
The U.N. estimates that the fighting has killed at least 30,000 people and made some 1.5 million more homeless.
Powell said last week it was premature to discuss military intervention for Darfur after Britain’s top army commander said his nation could provide 5,000 troops if needed.
Powell said at that time the international community still had other ways to influence Khartoum, including through a Security Council resolution threatening sanctions.