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| Africa Horn |
| Plans ready for UN Darfur force but not deployment |
| 2007-06-08 |
| The United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) were close to a deal on Wednesday on fielding 23 000 peacekeepers in Sudan's violent Darfur region, but full deployment is not expected until next year at the earliest. The so-called "hybrid" UN-AU force is the culmination of two earlier stages allowing the United Nations to bolster 7 000 beleaguered African Union troops. Sudan has still to agree to the large force, after it refused to have an operation controlled solely by the United Nations. Top UN and AU officials approved a revised plan, which the AU's Peace and Security Committee and the UN Security Council are expected to endorse. Should Sudan delay approval, the United States and Britain want to push for sanctions, including a no-fly zone over Darfur to help put an end to fighting that has uprooted more than two million people. Experts estimate 200 000 people have died. In Heligendamm, Germany, United States President George Bush said the United States "would consider" helping to enforce a no-fly zone over Darfur should the UN Security Council impose one. "I want to see people helping Darfur by joining us and sending clearer and stronger messages to President [Omar al-]Bashir" of Sudan, Bush told reporters on the first day of a summit of the Group of Eight industrial nations. But a majority of the 15-nation Security Council question expanding current mild sanctions against Khartoum, which the United States and Britain have been pushing for. No resolution has been distributed and it is doubtful that would happen before council members visit Sudan on June 17. Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lam Akol, told reporters in Washington via video conference that "we reject the imposition of sanctions". He said sanctions would harm the peace process as well as the Darfur people. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Don't hold your breath. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-06-08 16:43 |
| #1 Yeah, take ya time guys. Do it right. Well, take ya time... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-06-08 08:22 |