Helicopters needed for Darfur
2007-10-21 21:57
New York - The United Nations is intensively lobbying countries to provide helicopters for a UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, one of many obstacles to starting the mission effectively on January 1.
Officials and diplomats say no country has made a credible
offer to provide the 24 transport and attack helicopters needed
for the 26 000-strong force, whose mission is already clouded by lack of full commitment by the Sudanese government.
The force is due to replace a hard-pressed AU operation,
known as AMIS, which lacks experience, equipment and cash and
has been unable to stop the 4½-year long conflict.
One UN diplomat said: "No national army would deploy anywhere without any air power. The AMIS force there has no helicopters, which is ... why it can't defend itself."
At least 10 AU troops were killed last month in an assault
on their base in Darfur - Sudan's arid western region the size of France where international experts estimate 200 000 have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.
A Security Council resolution in July called on member states to finalise contributions to UNAMID, the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur, by the end of August.
With no helicopters secured six weeks after that, Britain
wants the UN Security Council to issue a statement this week
urging member states "to urgently make available the aviation and ground transport units still required."
Sources say among countries the United Nations is lobbying
for air assets or to put pressure on Khartoum to cooperate with
the force are Egypt, Pakistan, Ukraine, South Africa, South
Korea and China, which is Sudan's most powerful close ally.