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UN poised to help in Darfur
07/03/2006 20:16 - (SA)
Cairo - United Nations peacekeeping troops might intervene in the western Sudanese province of Darfur if African Union forces fail in their mission, said UN envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk on Tursday.
Speaking after a meeting with Arab League secretary-general Amr Mussa, Pronk said the UN was not seeking to replace the African troops with its own.
"However, African ambassadors in the security council agreed on substituting AU troops with UN troops and we have been surprised by this decision," Pronk said.
"It is natural the UN should intervene if the AU becomes incapable of accomplishing its mission."
Foreign funding for troops
Pronk said the US, United Kingdom and the European Union, who had been funding the AU troops, could no longer continue to provide them with the necessary backing.
This had led to the suggestion of replacing the Africans with UN troops.
Pronk said he discussed the turbulent Darfur situation and pending peace efforts in the run-up to the Arab summit at the end of March with Mussa, expressing hopes for an end to the killing of civilians.
Delivering a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Pronk said Annan hoped the AU would carry on its mission at least until the end of the year.
- SAPA
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