USA/UN: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeals for end of violence in Darfur as UN readies support for African Union in Darfur

U.S. Secretary Condoleezza Rice met with foreign ministers twice in New York City on Friday (September 22, 2006), first with ministers from the European Union and then with officials from other countries to talk about the Darfur crisis and the international community's response. At the second meeting, Rice was clear in the commitment of her government to helping the people of the beleaguered region of Sudan. Attending the meeting were more than 20 foreign ministers, some from countries closely allied with Sudan. "We meet here today united in our commitment, firm in our resolution, and mindful of our obligations to help end the suffering of the people of Darfur," she said. "The violence in Darfur must end and it must end now. The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in May, provides a political framework to end the conflict and to open a path to peace, freedom and opportunity to the people of Darfur. The future of this agreement, however, is now at risk. The government of Sudan has launched a military offensive and the security situation in Darfur is deteriorating." "This is a profound test for the international community and we must show that we are equal to it," she added. The meeting, hosted by Denmark and the United States, was aimed specifically at winning support from Arab countries that have either been silent or backed Sudan's refusal to accept about 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers in Sudan. "It is the responsibility of each individual state to protect its own citizens," said Per Stig Moeller, Denmark's minister of foreign affairs. "It is the responsibility of the international community to assist in exercising this responsibility and if necessary to act. What we would like to see today is a uniform message to the top decision-makers in Sudan: 'Work with us, not against us." One objective of the meeting was to get countries to make early commitments to the anticipated U.N. peacekeeping mission to the region. The United States and its allies have been unsuccessful so far in getting the Sudanese government to agree to a U.N. force in Darfur and invited allies of Sudan such as Egypt and Algeria to attend a meeting on Darfur. The United Nations said on Friday it would reinforce African troops in Darfur with 100 personnel to run communications and other equipment, while Arab nations promised to contribute funds to the operation. At a news conference, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations would move 100 personnel, including military officers, to Darfur in the next few weeks to man communications and other equipment for the African Union in anticipation of an eventual transition to a U.N. force. "What we will be doing in the next few weeks with AMIS (African Union Mission in Sudan) is moving more than 100 personnel staff officers as well as equipment, including communication equipment, and other types of equipment to help beef up AMIS through the end of the year and obviously hopefully as we very much hope to a transition to a U.N. force," said Dujarric. The African Union force of some 7,000 troops and monitors has agreed to stay until year's end to help stop atrocities in Sudan's western region but has been unable to stop the violence that has driven 2.5 million people from their homes and left an estimated 200,000 dead since 2003. Short of equipment, funds and soldiers, the African Union is in favour of turning over control of the peacekeepers to the United Nations but Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has refused, saying it would only divide and weaken Sudan. Without Khartoum's permission, no nation will send troops to Darfur and risk a battle with the Sudanese military. Also on Friday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending for two weeks, until Oct. 8, the U.N. mission in Sudan, which has some 10,000 peacekeepers in southern Sudan to monitor a peace agreement there. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the short rollover would allow more time to build up pressure on Khartoum to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force. But Amr Moussa, the Egyptian secretary-general of the Arab League, which has the ear of Sudan, did not express outright support for a U.N. force. He did say Arab countries had pledged to give money to the African Union to support it over the next three months. The African Union's decision on Wednesday (September 20) to extend its operation for three months to December 31 noted that Sudan agreed the force could be beefed up from outside of Africa. Sudan's Bashir said earlier this did not mean non-African foot soldiers but Moussa told reporters he hoped Sudan might be persuaded to allow additional troops, depending on ongoing talks over the next three months. Moussa said Arab nations, who previously promised but did not contribute money to the African Union, would now do so because of the African Union's decision. At the moment NATO provides airlift support for the AU. Moussa said that now that there was a force extended to three months, "it is our responsibility to contribute to that." "I understand from high officials in Europe and at the UN and others, that other money, other sources will also contribute," Moussa added. "I trust we'll be able to cover this period with enough money." But he said that much of the news from Darfur had been exaggerated, a charge Bashir has frequently made. Pressure from the United States and other Western nations has not convinced Bashir of the need for a U.N. force, particularly after the Security Council authorized the United Nations to organize up to 22,500 troops and police for Darfur. Instead, nations are hoping for persuasion from Arab nations, who have largely supported Sudan, and China, Sudan's largest exporter of oil, which supports a U.N. force but is against sanctions or other actions against Khartoum. U.N. human rights monitors on Friday accused Sudan's army of bombing villages in North Darfur, killing and wounding civilians, and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. The rights monitors also reported that sexual violence, which has been a horrific feature of the conflict, continued in South Darfur, particularly near camps for internally displaced people near the town of Gereida.

ITN Source | September 23, 2006

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