Sudan: US clashes with UN over crisis

The UN envoy to Sudan urged the government to accept an international monitoring force with more than 3,000 troops to help prevent escalating militia attacks in the violence-wracked Darfur region.

Jan Pronk said yesterday that “the situation in Sudan is critical” and the government “has to be blamed” for failing to stop militia attacks outside designated areas where thousands of Sudanese fleeing the violence have gathered.

At a Security Council briefing, he elaborated on Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call Wednesday for an expanded international force in Darfur and urged the Sudanese government “to seek, request and accept assistance from the international community” if it is unable to protect its own citizens.

Afterward, Pronk told reporters: “That is not a question. That is diplomatic language for ‘you have to do that.”

The African Union has about 80 military observers in Darfur, protected by just over 300 soldiers, monitoring a rarely observed cease-fire signed in April. But Pronk said “we need thousands, thousands”.

Asked about reports that the United Nations was pushing for a 3,000-strong force, he said, “three is not enough.”

But he wouldn’t give a definitive number, saying it’s up to the African Union to come up with a recommendation. He urged the 53-nation organisation to speed up its decision-making “because it’s urgent – insecurity is on the rise outside the (safe) areas”.

France, Germany, Russia, Pakistan and other council members reacted positively to Pronk’s briefing, calling it balanced. But US Ambassador John Danforth, appearing somewhat annoyed at Pronk, said it shouldn’t be up to the Sudanese government to decide whether it can protect citizens.

“The fact of the matter is – and I think Mr. Pronk agrees with this – that the citizens of Darfur have absolutely no confidence that the government of Sudan will protect them and therefore the presence of substantial numbers of monitors, substantial numbers, is absolutely essential,” Danforth said.

The US ambassador said Annan and Pronk were “just flat out wrong” for not suggesting that the Sudanese government was responsible for supporting or participating in attacks by the militias, known as the Janjaweed.

“The government of Sudan has been directly involved in military action against civilian villages in Darfur, including within the last week,” Danforth said, citing a report from the African Union Ceasefire Commission confirming Sudanese government helicopter attacks on two villages on Aug. 26.

Pronk said his report only covered August, and in the first half of the month the Ceasefire Commission reported no raids. Annan mentioned the government’s use of aircraft in a clash with rebels between August 26-28, which Pronk called worrying. But he said he was waiting for a final report to determine whether the government launched the attacks – or the rebels.