Bankrupt peacekeeping mission leaves Darfur civilians exposed

Discussions are under way for the United Nations to take over the near-bankrupt peacekeeping mission, while critics of the AU were calling their first outing a "disastrous failure". The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has said AU forces in Darfur have been unable to stop the civil war that has raged in the arid western region for three years, and needs more funding if it is to carry out its job properly. Jan Pronk, the UN's special envoy to Darfur, also said only a robust peacekeeping force with a stronger mandate could end the violence.

Aid agencies which have operated in Darfur said it was vital for any peacekeeping force in the region to have a stronger mandate to act. Oxfam's regional director Paul Smith-Lomas said: "Overall security [in Darfur] has rapidly deteriorated since last August. The AU mission in Sudan urgently requires a strengthened mandate so that it can respond to this alarming security situation and protect civilians in Darfur. The international community must not... take its eye off the most urgent priority, which is protecting civilians now."

Rebel agencies in Darfur also welcomed the proposals, but the Sudanese government said it would not support any moves by the UN to take control of peacekeeping in the region.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Lam Akol, said: "The AU has shown competence and its performance in Darfur has been good. Such a proposal questions the AU's ability to carry out its mission. It is regrettable that some African countries support this new trend."

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article339988.ece