POLITICS:
Darfur Mission May Be Hampered by Lack of Choppers
Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 8 (IPS) - The United Nations has received pledges from 16 countries volunteering to provide either troops or logistical support for the proposed 26,000-strong hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force urgently needed in crisis-stricken Darfur, Sudan.
As demanded by the Sudanese government, most of the troops are coming from 10 African nations: Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.
The remaining non-African troops are coming from Bangladesh, Jordan, Nepal and Thailand, while engineering and medical units are being provided mostly by the Netherlands and Nordic countries.
Still, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno told reporters Monday he is in urgent need of ground transport, transport helicopters and light tactical helicopters to ensure that troops will remain mobile and have the capacity to move fast into trouble spots at short notice.
"But we just don't have the helicopters we need to operate in Darfur," he added.
Asked if European nations should respond to this request, Guehenno said he would expect a response "from any country from any continent, not just Europe, to consider how much of a priority Darfur is and whether they could commit those helicopters for the Darfur operation."
He said the peacekeeping mission needs at least 24 helicopters: 18 transport helicopters and six tactical helicopters.
Darfur is a big place with a scattered population. "If we want to ensure the protection of civilians, we need mobility and firepower," he said.
Asked a timeline for deployment, in what is considered a militarily volatile environment, Guehenno said it will take several months into 2008 "to reach full capacity".
"If we do not have force enablers by early 2008," including well-equipped infantry battalions, "I will be concerned."
Guenhenno said that a headquarters unit and at least two infantry battalions are expected to be up and running by the end of October.
As to when the "force enablers", armed with firepower, will be deployed, "I have no answer," he added.
The United Nations has said that violence and instability plaguing the Darfur region have resulted in more than 200,000 people being killed and two million others forced to flee their homes.
The attacks last month that killed 10 African Union peacekeepers threatened to undermine not only the upcoming peace talks in Libya but also the deployment of the peacekeeping troops.
After an earlier attack on peacekeepers, Senegal threatened to pull out its troops, according to published reports.
Asked if other countries have made similar threats, Guehenno said that at a recent meeting of troop-contributing countries "there were no formal or informal communication (from any country, including Senegal) that it will (pull out its troops or) reconsider its participation."
In July, the Security Council unanimously approved the creation of a 26,000-strong hybrid U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur. The breakdown includes over 19,000 troops, more than 600 police officers and over 5,500 civilian staff.
Described as the world's largest single peacekeeping force - ranking ahead of the 17,000-strong U.N. Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo - the new hybrid force was expected to incorporate the existing African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).
Known as UNAMID, the U.N. African Mission in Darfur is expected to take over operations from AMIS, which has been in Darfur since 2004.
UNAMID is tasked with acting under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter to support the early and effective implementation of last year's Darfur Peace Agreement between the government and the rebel force battling in Darfur.
The U.N. force is also mandated to protect civilians, prevent armed attacks and ensure the security of aid workers and its own personnel and facilities.
Asked about the upcoming peace talks in Libya on Oct. 27, Guehenno described it as an "important milestone". He said the negotiations among the government and the various rebel groups will be "a tough process".
"The situation on the ground is not good. In fact, it has deteriorated amidst a rising cycle of violence in south Darfur," he said.
He also warned that there was a "serious risk" of the Darfur situation going beyond Darfur - as it has already spilled over to neighbouring Chad.
(END/2007)
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