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Saturday, Jul 10, 2004

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International

African Union to protect Darfur refugees

By Ewen MacAskill

LONDON, JULY 9. The African Union on Thursday committed itself to international military intervention in the Darfur crisis, setting it in direct confrontation with the Sudanese Government.

The AU, a pan-continental body, is to send a 300-strong protection force to Darfur to support 60 AU monitors who began work last month.

But crucially, the Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, said the force would not now limit itself to the protection of the monitors and saw its role as also protecting civilians.

The Sudanese Government said that the force had to stick rigidly to its remit of protecting the monitors, and protection of civilians remained a matter for the Sudanese Government alone.

The row came as the United Nations Security Council on Thursday began work on a new resolution. Britain is considering a proposal to include in the resolution's text that an arms ban be placed on Sudan.

More than one million refugees are facing starvation and illness in Darfur after being forced to flee villages attacked by the Janjaweed, a militia armed by the Sudanese Government and supported by the Sudanese air force.

The AU, which took over from the Organisation of African Unity two years ago, discussed Darfur on Thursday morning.

At a press conference at the end of the summit in Addis Ababa, Mr. Obasanjo, a pivotal figure in African politics, signalled a role for the AU protection force which goes beyond its remit: ``That's what the name says — protection force. It will not be a protection force if it is there to prevent (violence) and protect lives and property and it just stands and stares while life and properties have been destroyed.''

The British Government, which is paying the start-up costs of the monitors, is concerned about Mr. Obasanjo's intervention because it could create confusion on the ground.

The British view is that the monitors should not go beyond their remit.

But Mr. Obasanjo was supported by the AU commission chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare, who also said the force would not stand idle if people were being killed in front of it.

The force is due to be deployed before the end of the month.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, said: ``Sudan has no problem if you want to send protection forces but it is protection forces to protect the monitors (only). The protection of civilians is the responsibility of the Sudanese Government.''

At the U.N. headquarters, work began on a U.S. draft resolution for the Security Council which proposes an arms embargo on the Janjaweed and a freeze on the assets of its members.

The British Government is opposed to the arms embargo and freeze on assets, regarding it as impractical and likely to be seen as ridiculous because Janjaweed members tend not to travel abroad or have assets amounting to more than a few cattle.

Instead, the British Government would prefer an arms embargo on the country.

The Sudanese Government promised the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, last week that it would rein in the militia.

No deadline was set but the U.S. Government regards a week as long enough and is arguing that it is time for U.N. action.

The British Government favours giving the Sudanese Government another week.

Human rights agencies, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, on Thursday wrote to the U.K. Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, calling for an arms embargo on both the Janjaweed and the Sudanese Government. —

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