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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 17 May 2006

SUDAN: UN prepares to deploy peacekeepers to Darfur

NAIROBI, 17 May 2006 (IRIN) - A United Nations Security Council resolution has paved the way for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Sudan's western Darfur region and threatened sanctions against any parties standing in the way of peace.

In a resolution adopted on Tuesday, the Council called on the African Union (AU) to agree with the UN and other regional and international bodies on a strategy to strengthen its 7000-strong peacekeeping force in Darfur before a UN mission is deployed.

It said a technical assessment mission would visit Darfur within a week to lay the groundwork for the transition to UN peacekeepers. Before any UN force can be deployed however, the UN must reach an agreement with Sudanese authorities on the forces mandate.

The Council called for speedy implementation of the Darfur peace plan, which was agreed upon by two parties to the conflict - the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Sudanese government - on 5 May in Abuja, Nigeria. It issued a stern warning to two smaller rebel groups that refused to sign the accord, saying any individual or group that violates or undermines the peace agreement risked sanctions, "such as a travel ban and assets freeze."

The rebel holdouts have asked for more concessions from the government. On Monday, the commander of the dissident SLM/A faction, Abdulwahid Mohamed Ahmed Elnur, said he would not sign unless the government agreed to give his group a greater role in local and federal government.

The Security Council’s resolution echoes recent statements by the AU Commission. On Monday, commission chairman Alpha Oumar Konare had urged the Sudanese government to allow UN peacekeepers to replace the cash-strapped African troops. Sudan's Foreign Minister Lam Akol, however, had on Friday said that even if Khartoum were prepared to discuss the matter with the UN, such a transition was not mentioned in the Darfur peace deal.

The AU urged all rebel groups in Darfur to sign the peace agreement. Speaking for the AU Peace and Security Council in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Nigerian Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji said the AU would ask the Security Council to impose sanctions on the Justice and Equality Movement and a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement if they did not sign the deal by 31 May. The AU also agreed to boost the mandate and manpower of its peacekeeping mission in order to monitor implementation of the Abuja peace deal.

The peace accord provides for the disarmament of the Darfur rebels as well as the Janjawid militia, which is allegedly backed by the Khartoum government and blamed for most of the atrocities against civilians in Darfur.

Rebel groups, government troops and militia have wreaked havoc in the region since early 2003. The UN estimates the conflict affects 3.6 million people - of whom 1.8 million are internally displaced and 200,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad. More than 200,000 people have been killed as a result of violence.

[ENDS]

This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006