WASHINGTON — The United States is proposing a NATO role in an
expanded peace-keeping force for the troubled Sudanese province of Darfour.
U.S. officials have been planning with NATO and the United Nations for a
force of at least 15,000 equipped with combat vehicles and helicopters to
halt violence against civilians in Darfour. The new force, meant to enforce
the no-fly zone in Darfour, could be approved by the UN Security Council
over the next few weeks.
So far, NATO has been providing airlift transport for the African Union.
Sudan has opposed any non-AU mission in Darfour, Middle East Newsline reported.
On Feb. 17, President George Bush called for the doubling of the current
force of 7,000 peace-keepers in Darfour. Bush also advocated a larger role
for NATO ahead of a Security Council session scheduled for March.
Bush did not say whether the United States would contribute to any
expanded Darfour force. So far, the African Union has deployed about 7,800
troops in the Sudanese province, but has been hampered by lack of equipment.
"I'm in the process now of working with a variety of folks to encourage
there to be more troops, probably under the United Nations," Bush said.
Officials said the administration sent four U.S. military planners to
the UN to draft options for an expanded military force in Darfour. They said
the administration envisions NATO supplying planning and logistical
assistance to a UN peace-keeping missions.
"But it's going to require, I think, a NATO stewardship, planning,
facilitating, organizing, probably double the number of peacekeepers that
are there now, in order to start bringing some sense of security," Bush
said. "There has to be a consequence for people abusing their fellow
citizens."
The administration has also requested $500 million for Darfour as part
of a larger special budget request to Congress. Several leading senators
plan to introduce a resolution for NATO troops to help the African Union
"stop the genocide" in the Darfour region.
"In the interim, let's get NATO involved in this process, because every
day you wait, you're going to have more people dying," Sen. Sam Brownback
said.
