Sudan opposed to UN forces in Darfur

There are two main options for a United Nations peacekeeping force in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region - one heavier on the ground, the other with larger air assets – but no major planning can take place pending an on-the-spot assessment, which the Sudanese Government at present opposes, the UN Security Council was told yesterday.

"We now need to further engage with the Government of Sudan to go further in our preparations and that's really now what is the focus of ongoing discussions with the parties," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno told reporters after attending closed Council consultations on the possible transition to a UN force from the current African Union (AU) mission.

He said there were "great expectations, hopefully" from peace talks in the Nigerian capital of Abuja seeking to end three years of fighting between the Government, pro-government militia and rebels in a devastating conflict that has already killed over 180,000 people and uprooted over 2 million more.

"It seems that the negotiations there are moving forward," he added. "And of course the outcome of Abuja will be very important to finalize our planning, our preparations for a possible transition."

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi briefed the Council on his recent visit to the region to discuss the possible transition from the overstretched AU mission in Darfur to an agile, capable and highly mobile UN peacekeeping force.

He said "The Government has indicated that at this time they are not in favor of a transition to a UN operation, but that following an agreement in Abuja they will be prepared to discuss with the United Nations how the United Nations could help in implementing that agreement."