Security Council says it will speedily consider peacekeepers for Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 10, 2005 (AP) — The U.N. Security Council said Monday it would speedily consider sending peacekeepers to Sudan to support a new peace deal and urged the new government of national unity to work actively to end the conflict in western Darfur.

A Sudanese artist in Juba drawing the Sudanese national flag over which a caption in Arabic reading ‘yes for peace and love’ while a small boy stands by observing in Juba, Sudan, Sunday, Jan 9, 2005. (AP)..

If implemented, the peace deal signed Sunday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, would end 40 years of civil war which has caused 2 million deaths, mainly from war-induced famine and disease, uprooted 4 million people, and forced 600,000 to flee the country altogether.

The U.N. Security Council said it looked to the world to help implement the deal as well as help with the rebuilding and rehabilitation process.

It said it hoped the agreement would “mark a watershed” in Sudan ‘s history and urged the new government to fully commit itself to ending the violence in Darfur and “to work expeditiously to consolidate peace throughout the country.”

The civil war began in 1983 after rebels from the mainly animist and Christian south took up arms against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north.

Jan Pronk, the top U.N. envoy to Sudan , said last month that if a peace agreement was reached, he envisioned Security Council adoption of a resolution in the third week of January authorizing a wide-ranging U.N. peacekeeping and peace-building mission, hopefully with 9,000 to 10,000 troops.

The U.N. already has pledges for the troops, including from southeast Asian nations Pronk wouldn’t identify. But he said it will take six months to deploy the U.N. force in southern Sudan where it will likely remain during the 6 1/2 year period until a referendum on autonomy for the south is held.

Pronk, who will brief the Security Council Tuesday, said the peacekeeping operation would likely face “immense logistical difficulties” because of lack of roads, airfields and communications.

But he told the signing ceremony in Nairobi Sunday: “We are determined to field an effective operation. We will also continue to press the international community to support implementation of the agreement.”

Pronk described the agreement between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement as “an important milestone,” but he said it would be hard to imagine that the promise of the agreement would be fulfilled with an end to the conflict in Darfur.

“Peace in Sudan is indivisible,” he said.

Pronk has expressed hope that the African Union will expand its separate 4,000-strong force for Darfur.