Sudan response to help for African Union mission in Darfur
Sudan-UN, Politics, 10/6/2006

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the Sudanese Government's positive response to the United Nations' move last month to enhance its support of the African Union mission as it tries to maintain peace and security across the war-torn Darfur region.

His welcome came as the Security Council voted today to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) until the end of April 2007, expressing "grave concern" over Darfur's deteriorating humanitarian situation.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Annan noted he had received a letter from Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in which Khartoum voiced acceptance of the assistance package.

Annan "very much hopes that the proposed support package can be implemented expeditiously, in consultation with the African Union (AU) and with the full cooperation of the Government of Sudan," the statement said.

"The Secretary-General also welcomes the expressed readiness of the Government of Sudan to pursue its dialogue with the United Nations in the interest of an early and lasting resolution of the Darfur crisis."

The UN has pledged to provide support to the AU in logistics, materials and with military staff and police officers, while also offering civilian support in mine action, public information and the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).

Last month the AU voted to extend its mission in Darfur, known as AMIS, until the end of the year after the Sudanese Government stated repeatedly that it was opposed to any UN peacekeeping force taking over AMIS' responsibilities.

The Security Council's vote today to extend UNMIS' mandate was unanimous, with the resolution urging all parties to the Darfur conflict to end the violence and atrocities.

The United States requested an emergency Security Council meeting on Darfur to discuss what US Ambassador John Bolton called an "unprecedented" attempt by Sudan to intimidate countries considering providing troops for a UN peacekeeping mission there.

The Security Council held the unscheduled private meeting October 5 to discuss its response to a letter sent by the government of Sudan to several nations that had been asked by the United Nations to contribute police personnel for an unspecified mission. The United States did not receive a letter, but was given a copy by others who had. Bolton quoted the Sudanese letter as saying that "in the absence of Sudan's consent to the deployment of UN troops, any volunteering to provide peacekeeping troops to Darfur will be considered as a hostile act, a prelude to an invasion of a member country of the UN"

Sudan has rejected a previous UN Security Council Resolution that seeks a UN force imposition on Sudan.

Previous Stories:
  Annan warns of catastrophe in Darfur   (9/11/2006)
  Sudan rejects further AU and UN forces   (9/5/2006)
  Egyptian contacts to avoid showdown at SC over Darfur   (8/31/2006)

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