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Security Council Expedites Planning for Darfur Peacekeepers

16 May 2006

Ambassador Bolton says United Nations has important role in Darfur

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- The Security Council voted unanimously May 16 to accelerate planning for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur and called for the deployment of a peacekeeping planning mission to the region within a week.

The council moved quickly after the African Union Peace and Security Council issued a communiqué supporting the transition from its peacekeeping mission in Sudan (AMIS) to a U.N.-led peacekeeping force (UNMIS).  Previously, the Sudanese government in Khartoum had refused to allow U.N. peacekeeping experts into the region.

The Security Council approved Resolution 1679, calling on the parties to the Darfur Peace Agreement to facilitate and work with the African Union, the United Nations and regional and international organizations to accelerate transition to a U.N. operation.

Acting under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, the council also said it intended to consider taking "strong and effective measures, such as a travel ban and assets freeze, against any individual or group that violates or attempts to block the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement."  It also called on groups that have not signed the May 5 agreement negotiated in Abuja, Nigeria, to do so without delay. (See related article.)

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said that the resolution "sends a strong message of Security Council intent to move expeditiously to replace AMIS with UNMIS and increase assistance to AMIS in the interim."

"We've not been able to get logistical planning personnel into the Darfur region to do the work they need to do, and it is very clear from this resolution we expect this to happen immediately," the ambassador said.

The most important aspect of the resolution, Bolton said, "is the invocation of Chapter VII to make clear we think there's an important role for U.N. peacekeeping force," especially in protecting innocent civilians in Darfur.

The 7,300-member African Union peacekeeping force, while praised for the work it has done, does not have the resources and personnel to exert control over the region.  In its resolution, the Security Council asked nations to provide resources to strengthen AMIS' capacity until a U.N. operation is mounted.

The council asked U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report on a force structure, requirements, potential troop-contributing countries and costs a week after the planning mission returns from Darfur.

Bolton pointed out that the council acted under Chapter VII  "to make it unmistakable that it's not just the Security Council but the African Union as well that support the transition from the AU force to the U.N. force, that we want that done expeditiously, [and] that we want cooperation from everyone concerned."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented the initial draft of the resolution to the council on May 9 when the council held a ministerial level meeting at the request of the United States to discuss ways to move the peace process forward and deal with the humanitarian crisis. (See related article.)

The resolution was co-sponsored by Congo, Denmark, France, Ghana, Greece, Peru, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Tanzania and the United States.

The full text of Security Council Resolution 1679 is available on the United Nations Web site.

For more information on the Sudan peace process, see Darfur Humanitarian Emergency.

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