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18 September 2004

Security Council Supports Increased Monitoring in Darfur

Genocide investigation to be launched

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Pressing for more aid to Darfur, the Security Council September 18 adopted a resolution endorsing an enlarged, "proactive" African Union (AU) mission in Darfur and launching a genocide investigation by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

After a week of negotiations, the council adopted the U.S.- drafted resolution by a vote of 11 to 0 with Algeria, China, Pakistan, and Russia abstaining. Germany, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom joined the United States in sponsoring the resolution.

The resolution urges nations to provide equipment and logistical, financial, and material resources to the African Union in order to rapidly expand the mission which is monitoring the situation in Darfur. There are currently about 80 monitors and a force of about 300 to protect the monitors. U.N. officials hope to get at least 3,000 AU monitors into Darfur, where an estimated 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes and 50,000 have been killed.

The council called upon the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups to work together in the negotiations currently being held in Abuja under the auspices of the African Union to reach a political solution.

U.S. Ambassador John Danforth explained that "we act today because the Government of Sudan has failed to comply with our previous resolution adopted on July 30."

"Today's Resolution demands that the Government of Sudan meet in practice its verbal commitment to accept an increased number of African Union monitors," Danforth said. "The Resolution also states that if the Government of Sudan continues to persecute its people or does not cooperate fully with the African Union, the Council will indeed have to consider sanctions against it and individuals responsible for this disaster."

Calling the crisis "uniquely grave," the ambassador added that "the disaster in Darfur is entirely man-made."

"Unlike natural disasters such as hurricanes and droughts, the tragedy in Darfur was entirely avoidable," he said. "It was fabricated by a government as an overreaction to a rebellion; a government intent on revenge, intent on persecution, intent on breaking the spirit of an entire people."

Saying that he considered the vote "good and positive," Danforth emphasized the importance of ensuring not only compliance by Sudan but also support for humanitarian operations and the African Union by the international community.

"It's one thing to pass a resolution in the Security Council. It's another thing to actually bring results," he pointed out to reporters after the vote.

Previously, Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the council on September 16 to adopt the resolution saying that "it is urgent to take action now. Civilians are still being attacked and fleeing their villages even as we speak, many months after the government committed itself to bring the militias under control," he said. "The cease-fire is also being violated by both groups."

In the resolution, the council asked Annan to "rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry in order immediately to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur by all parties, to determine also whether or not acts of genocide have occurred and to identify the perpetrators of such violations. " The resolution is the first time in the history of the Security Council that Article 8 of the Genocide Convention has been used.

The secretary general has said that, if asked, he would appoint an international genocide commission "with all speed" and the U.N. secretariat has been making preparations to do so in anticipation of the council's vote.

The new resolution, number 1564, retains the threat of sanctions, threatening "additional actions," which could include an oil embargo or other sanctions, if Sudan doesn't comply with the resolution or fails to cooperate with the AU monitoring mission.

The resolution also expresses the council's "grave concern that the Government of Sudan has not fully met its obligations" in the July 30 resolution ( Resolution 1556) and the July 3 joint communiqué signed with the secretary general and urges Sudan to refrain from conducting military flights over Darfur.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)