Darfur unrest may worsen - UN
2007-10-09 10:19
New York - Worsening violence in Darfur risks spreading the conflict further in Sudan and shows the need for advanced equipment a planned United Nations peacekeeping force does not yet have, says an official.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno said the situation had deteriorated in the western Sudanese region with an attack late last month by armed men on an African Union base and reports of a government attack on another town on Monday.
Guehenno said: "I am very concerned with that." Combined with recent clashes between the government and rebels in the neighbouring Kordofan region, "there is a serious risk of the Darfur situation going beyond Darfur".
Just weeks before AU-UN-mediated peace talks were to start in Libya on October 27, armed men in 30 vehicles descended upon an AU peacekeepers' base on September 29 near the town of Haskanita in South Darfur, destroying the base and killing 10 peacekeepers.
Rebel-held town attacked
Sudanese government forces subsequently occupied Haskanita, which was burnt to the ground and emptied of civilians. Rebel spokesperson said that on Monday government troops and allied militia attacked the rebel-held town of Muhajiriya.
Guehenno could not confirm who had sacked Haskanita, but said: "It's very troubling that a city, which was under the control of the government of Sudan could be burned down."
He said the incident provided important lessons for a planned 26 000-strong AU-UN peace force, which was due to go to Darfur to take over from an existing AU force of less than 7 000 that had been overwhelmed.
Guehenno said: "I think this incident shows the importance of having troops that are very mobile, with capacity to dominate any situation.
"And for that we need capacities that even with the strong effort of the AU we do not have yet."
Darfur situation 'needs right resources'
Plenty of offers had come in for basic infantry for the new force, which Sudan wanted to be primarily African, but UN planners were concerned about a lack of specialised units they said were more likely to come from developed countries.
In particular they were short of 18 transport helicopters and six light attack helicopters, plus crews, as well as ground transportation companies equipped with trucks, for a total of at least 570 personnel.
Guehenno said: "These capacities are vital - we don't have them. It would be very dangerous if ... the situation in Darfur did not have the right resources. That would put in jeopardy all our efforts to stabilise this region."
A list of proposed troop contributors made public by the UN on Monday cited units to be provided by 15 countries, mostly from Africa, as well as an engineering company from unspecified Nordic countries.
Guehenno said the list had been agreed between the UN and AU and was being discussed with the Sudanese government by a technical team currently in Khartoum.