Darfur needs helicopters - Ban

2007-11-08 10:15

New York - United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon made a fresh appeal Wednesday for member states to provide transport and tactical helicopters vital for the success of the planned UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

Ban said: "It is urgent, at this time, that those member states who are in a position to contribute the missing transportation and aviation capabilities for the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to do so."

"Without these critical units, the mission will not be able to implement its mandate," he added, warning that recent security incidents in Sudan's war-ravaged western region and continuing delays in deploying the 26 000-strong UNAMID "could lead to a further deterioration in the situation on the ground".

UNAMID still lacked 24 transport and tactical helicopters that were meant to give the force sufficient mobility and firepower.

US, peace officials hold talks

Diplomats said several Western countries in a position to provide the helicopters were reluctant to do so because of a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of the joint force.

Top UN peacekeeping planners held talks with the United States officials in Washington earlier this week to urge them to help convince other countries to provide the helicopters.

In his report, Ban also again urged Khartoum to co-operate "with regard to facilitating the acquisition of land, flight operations for UN aircraft and agreement on the composition of UNAMID.

The world body and the AU had agreed to accept troop contingents from 16 countries, mostly from Africa but also from Bangladesh, Jordan, Nepal, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries and Thailand, for UNAMID.

But UN officials said Khartoum was questioning the need to include non-African ground troops after African soldiers were readily available.

AU 'struggling to end bloodshed'

The UN chief said: "This force composition is predominantly African, as required (under the relevant Security Council resolution) and provides for a force that would meet UN standards and would be capable of deploying in a timely manner."

Sudanese president Omar al-Beshir had been accused of dragging his heels over the deployment, but while on a visit to South Africa on Wednesday, he said the UN was to blame over the delays because it had yet to present a budget to the Security Council for the operation.

Meanwhile, President Thabo Mbeki told al-Beshir in Cape Town on Wednesday that he might be willing to authorise more troops to serve with UNAMID.

SA already had nearly 700 troops on duty in Darfur, forming nearly 10% of the AU force currently struggling to end the bloodshed there. UNAMID was not expected to be fully deployed until well into 2008.

Ban also commented on the opening session of the Darfur peace talks held in Sirte, Libya last month, which was boycotted by key Darfur personalities, including hardline Paris-based Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur.

- AFP