U.N. Official Criticizes Sudan for Resisting Peace Force in Darfur

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (NY Times) — The United Nations’ top peacekeeping official said Tuesday that obstacles created by the Sudanese government were jeopardizing the deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations force in Darfur. The force, which will ultimately number 26,000 members, is to replace a 7,000-member African Union force that has been overwhelmed by the scope of the crisis in Darfur, which has driven 2.5 million people from their land and cost the lives of at least 200,000. The new force is scheduled to start operating Jan. 1. The official, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, told the Security Council that Sudan was resisting accepting specialized troops from non-African militaries that were critical to the mission, blocking support staff and materials from the area through bureaucratic maneuvers, and withholding needed land and permissions for the assignment of helicopters.

In addition, he said, the government in Khartoum was asserting the right to close down the force’s communications when its own army was operating in the area and was refusing to give United Nations planes clearance to fly at night. “The mission has the mandate to protect civilians,” Mr. Guéhenno said, “and that responsibility does not end at sunset.” He said the actions left the United Nations with “hard choices. Do we move ahead with the deployment of a force that will not make a difference, that will not have the capability to defend itself, and that carries the risk of humiliation of the Security Council and the United Nations, and tragic failure for the people of Darfur?” he asked.

Sudan’s ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, rejected the charges, saying that his country “has carried out an intense effort to fulfill its obligations.” Outside the Council chamber, he rebuked Mr. Guéhenno for “taking technical issues and blowing them out of proportion” and continuing the peacekeeping department’s “habit of accusing Sudan for their mistakes and failures.” The non-African forces that Khartoum has refused to approve are an infantry battalion from Thailand, special forces from Nepal, and an engineering company from Norway and Sweden. They were first proposed in a letter from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the Sudanese on Oct. 2 that has gotten no response. The United Nations has no alternatives to the use of those units, Mr. Guéhenno said. He added that he was disturbed by reports out of Khartoum that officials were also going back on their agreement to let the force wear the blue berets that carry United Nations insignia, an essential condition, he said, for those countries that have agreed to contribute troops.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador, said Sudan “absolutely must demonstrate through its statements and actions its intent to accept and facilitate an effective peacekeeping force in Darfur. Based on what we have heard today from Mr. Guéhenno,” he said, “it appears the government of Sudan has thus far failed to do so.” John Sawers, Britain’s ambassador, said he was convinced that a timely fielding of the force was being made “impossible” by Sudan’s “foot-dragging and obstruction.”
By WARREN HOGE
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