New Darfur peacekeeping force takes over

[David]

AP


EL FASHER, Sudan - The African Union transferred authority Monday to a new joint peacekeeping force with the United Nations in Darfur that the international community hopes will stem the violence in Sudan's war-torn western region.

But the new mission is staffed far below its authorized level — at only 9,000 of a planned 26,000 — and many fear it will be as incapable of protecting civilians as the AU force it replaced.

The ceremony at the new mission's headquarters outside the North Darfur capital of El Fasher capped months of international pressure on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to admit the force.

The Sudanese president has thrown up bureaucratic obstructions to the force's full deployment, including blocking Swedish and Thai troops, and it is unclear when further deployments will come. Western countries have also been slow to provide military helicopters, considered vital to making the force effective.

As a result, many experts inside and outside the U.N. believe the mission will have little immediate effect on security in Darfur, where 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been driven from their homes in 4 1/2 years of violence. Ethnic African rebels have been battling the Arab-dominated government's troops and the Arab militias known as janjaweed, which are accused of committing widespread atrocities against civilians.

U.N. officials have said the force at full strength with 20,000 troops and 6,000 policemen — backed, it is hoped, by attack helicopters — would be robust and effective enough to stop attacks on refugees, civilians and aid workers.

That would be a sharp contrast to the African Union force, which at 7,000 troops has been unable to stop violence in the region.

Those AU troops have already given up on patrolling refugee camps or performing even the most basic peacekeeping duties, such as protecting women from being raped by janjaweed when they trek out of their camps to collect firewood. Since they came under direct attack by rebels in September, most AU peacekeepers now stick to their bases.

African nations have promised enough troops to fill out the 26,000-member force. But U.N. officials say many of these forces are unequipped for a peacekeeping operation, and so far there is no clear timetable for their deployment. Also, no nation has offered the 24 helicopters the U.N. needs in Darfur.

Even in the best-case scenario, it could take months for the force to reach its full size. In the meantime, the U.N. and other experts warn that problems in the region could snowball.

[SuperScout]

Anyone that places much credence or hope in the actions of a UN peace-keeping force needs only look at their 'success' in other places in Africa. The genocide in Rwanda can be a tragic reminder of the ineptitude of the UN. Pity the poor fools left behind.....