U.S. officials said the international community has failed to fulfill
pledges to contribute manpower and financing to the African Union force.
The AU,
plagued by a shortage of equipment and ammunition, was designated as
responsible for enforcing the ceasefire in Sudan's war-torn Darfour region.
So far, the AU has about 7,000 troops in Darfour, with plans to double
the force, Middle East Newsline reported. But officials said African militaries have withdrawn rather than
bolstered the AU force.
"If you recall there was some prospect they would get the numbers up to
over 12,000 or 15,000, 10,000 to 12,000," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick told a briefing on Nov. 7. "I think that's highly unlikely."
Zoellick, who toured Sudan and other African countries this week, said
the AU force in Darfour could fail to reach its immediate goal of 7,700
troops. He cited the withdrawal of troops contributed by South Africa.
Officials said the AU force would be bolstered by scores of armored
personnel carriers donated by Canada. They said AU troops have been
vulnerable to attacks by both militias aligned to the Sudanese regime as
well as rebel groups.
Zoellick said he was examining the prospect of a United Nations
peace-keeping force that would cover both southern Sudan as well as Darfour.
The joint force would include AU troops and the Sudanese People Liberation
Movement and help maintain a ceasefire in several areas of the country.
But in an address at Khartoum University, Zoellick warned of the failure
of any peace-keeping mission unless Sudan became determined to stop violence
in Darfour. The U.S. envoy asserted that the international community would
not participate in any effort to divide the warring factions in Sudan.
"It's a tribal war," Zoellick said. "And frankly I don't think foreign
forces want to get in the middle of a tribal war of Sudanese. I don't think
we can clean it up because it's not just a question of ending violence. It's
a question of creating the context for peace."
