SUDAN: U.S. calls for deployment of United Nations troops in war-torn Darfur region

United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met on Sunday (April 15) with Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir in yet another attempt by Washington to persuade Khartoum to accept deployment of UN troops in the war-torn region of Darfur. Negroponte did not give details about the meeting that lasted for about an hour and was also attended by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazier, except that Darfur was high on the agenda. "We focused most of our discussion on the question of Darfur and we discussed at some length our respective views of the humanitarian, the security and the political situations," Negroponte said in a brief statement after the meeting. The U.S. and UN have been trying to persuade the Sudanese government to let a UN peacekeeping force deploy in Darfur but Khartoum has refused, saying that would amount to a return to colonialism. In the face of Khartoum's refusal, advocates of a UN mission proposed a compromise deal that would protect the people of Darfur and win Sudanese government approval. One idea is a hybrid force combining the UN and AU (African Union) that Sudan also rejects. The AU last week backed Sudan's position against transformation of its mission in Darfur into a UN operation, saying the AU would remain in control. The AU has a 7,000-strong peace force in Darfur that has been unable to stem the violence, which left an estimated 200,000 people dead and over two million homeless. The U.S. has delayed for several weeks imposing new sanctions against Sudan over its handling of Darfur to give the UN more time to negotiate with Khartoum. Washington was set last month to impose stricter sanctions to pressure Sudan to agree to allow the peacekeeping force into Darfur. Among new U.S. sanctions is the addition of 29 Sudanese companies to a current U.S. sanctions list of about 130 firms. Washington also plans to further limit dollar transactions from Sudanese companies and to slap travel and banking bans on three individuals, including an "obstructionist" rebel leader. Another strategy was to more aggressively enforce sanctions on Sudan, using similar tools as those employed to put pressure on Iran and North Korea. Senegal on Thursday (April 12) threatened to withdraw from the overstretched AU force in Darfur within weeks unless it was given firm UN backing. The West African country, whose peacekeeping troops are widely respected, has 538 soldiers in the 7,000-strong AU contingent in the region.

ITN Source | April 16, 2007

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