Moves to Protect Darfur's People
notes Israel Rafalovich
Faced with a stalemate over peacekeepers and a possible security vacuum in Darfur, should the African Union peacekeepers leave when their extended mandate expires on December 3, diplomatic search for a solution in their framework, called “African Union Plus”, has begun.
This would involve an extended African Union Darfur mission, underlined by United Nations support, with greater policing power for African troops.
A strengthened African peace keeping force has become the best hope of averting humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur, although on the ground, the African Union force lacks equipment and has proved difficult to coordinate. The force has been unable to provide security in a region racked by a three year war.
Diplomats are concentrating now on proposals to strengthen the 7,000 strong African Union force which is already on the ground in Darfur.
Western diplomats expressed confidence that Sudan's president Omar al Bashir will allow the addition of some United Nations components, providing that the control remains in African hands.
With this, the prospects of a United Nation peacekeeping mission in Darfur are fading as the Sudanese government is not giving-in to pressure to allow the deployment.
At the same time, it is too early to conclude that the struggle to protect refugees in Darfur is lost.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, appears to be moving in the direction of a compromise that will beef up the African Union force instead of allowing a security vacuum to emerge in Darfur.
The European Union is the biggest financial supporter of the African Union troops in Darfur, giving 242-million Euros since the African Union mission was launched. During his visit to Darfur, Mr. Barroso announced that the European Union has allocated a further 40-million Euros for humanitarian assistance in Darfur.
The funding includes 26-million Euros to support the efforts of the World Food Programme. Other activities include protection and U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) which provides links to inaccessible areas. The European Commission is currently working with 52 partner organisations in Sudan and in eastern Chad, which hosts many refugees who have fled Darfur.
During his brief visit to Darfur Mr. Barroso told Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir that the "status quo is unsustainable."
He expressed his hope that the next three months would be used to beef up the presence of the African Union force in Darfur and in his public remarks Mr. Barroso made no mention of the U.N. resolution 1706, which called on Sudan to accept UN troops.
The European Union wants to have a greater political weight in Africa, to match its trade relations and aid.
In May, only one of three rebel factions signed an African Union negotiated peace agreement with the Sudanese government. In the meantime, the violence in western Sudan has increased as rebel groups try to make territorial gains ahead of possible international intervention to end the violence.
The fact on the ground is that no real relief will come to the refugees in Darfur without the cooperation of the government in Khartoum.
Aid agencies that operate in the area reported difficulties in dealing with the humanitarian crisis and this because of the poor security, despite the presence of the African Union force.
Nothing short of a strong international intervention will keep the Sudanese government from bringing the final solution on the region of Darfur.
Israel Rafalovich
Please also see:
Darfur Needs Help Now, notes Israel Rafalovich
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=2617&blz=1
Crying out for safety (photo source)
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-index-eng
Tribal fighting worsens the security situation in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region: UN http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20099&Cr=Sudan&Cr1=
Darfuri refugees testify
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-index-eng
UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES JUBA INITIATIVE FUND TO AID PEACE IN NORTHERN UGANDA
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/afr1439.doc.htm
notes Israel Rafalovich
Faced with a stalemate over peacekeepers and a possible security vacuum in Darfur, should the African Union peacekeepers leave when their extended mandate expires on December 3, diplomatic search for a solution in their framework, called “African Union Plus”, has begun.
This would involve an extended African Union Darfur mission, underlined by United Nations support, with greater policing power for African troops.
A strengthened African peace keeping force has become the best hope of averting humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur, although on the ground, the African Union force lacks equipment and has proved difficult to coordinate. The force has been unable to provide security in a region racked by a three year war.
Diplomats are concentrating now on proposals to strengthen the 7,000 strong African Union force which is already on the ground in Darfur.
Western diplomats expressed confidence that Sudan's president Omar al Bashir will allow the addition of some United Nations components, providing that the control remains in African hands.
With this, the prospects of a United Nation peacekeeping mission in Darfur are fading as the Sudanese government is not giving-in to pressure to allow the deployment.
At the same time, it is too early to conclude that the struggle to protect refugees in Darfur is lost.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, appears to be moving in the direction of a compromise that will beef up the African Union force instead of allowing a security vacuum to emerge in Darfur.
The European Union is the biggest financial supporter of the African Union troops in Darfur, giving 242-million Euros since the African Union mission was launched. During his visit to Darfur, Mr. Barroso announced that the European Union has allocated a further 40-million Euros for humanitarian assistance in Darfur.
The funding includes 26-million Euros to support the efforts of the World Food Programme. Other activities include protection and U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) which provides links to inaccessible areas. The European Commission is currently working with 52 partner organisations in Sudan and in eastern Chad, which hosts many refugees who have fled Darfur.
During his brief visit to Darfur Mr. Barroso told Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir that the "status quo is unsustainable."
He expressed his hope that the next three months would be used to beef up the presence of the African Union force in Darfur and in his public remarks Mr. Barroso made no mention of the U.N. resolution 1706, which called on Sudan to accept UN troops.
The European Union wants to have a greater political weight in Africa, to match its trade relations and aid.
In May, only one of three rebel factions signed an African Union negotiated peace agreement with the Sudanese government. In the meantime, the violence in western Sudan has increased as rebel groups try to make territorial gains ahead of possible international intervention to end the violence.
The fact on the ground is that no real relief will come to the refugees in Darfur without the cooperation of the government in Khartoum.
Aid agencies that operate in the area reported difficulties in dealing with the humanitarian crisis and this because of the poor security, despite the presence of the African Union force.
Nothing short of a strong international intervention will keep the Sudanese government from bringing the final solution on the region of Darfur.
Israel Rafalovich
Please also see:
Darfur Needs Help Now, notes Israel Rafalovich
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=2617&blz=1
Crying out for safety (photo source)
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-index-eng
Tribal fighting worsens the security situation in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region: UN http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20099&Cr=Sudan&Cr1=
Darfuri refugees testify
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-index-eng
UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES JUBA INITIATIVE FUND TO AID PEACE IN NORTHERN UGANDA
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/afr1439.doc.htm