WASHINGTON — The United Nations has set new requirements for a
peace-keeping force in Sudan's war-torn Darfour province.
A report by UN secretary-general Kofi Annan asserted that a new
international peace-keeping force was required immediately. The report said
the proposed force should replace about 7,000 troops from the African Union
in an effort to restore order and ensure relief operations.
Annan said the UN-led force in Darfour would require up to 18,600
troops, supported by fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, Middle East Newsline reported. He raised three
options for the restoration of order in Darfour, where up to 300,000 people
have been killed and more than two million displaced since 2003.
The first option stipulated the deployment of 17,600 troops. The report
cited the need for 14 infantry battalions and a divisional reserve of two
special forces companies, supported by three reconnaissance aircraft, eight
tactical helicopters and 18 utility helicopters.
Annan termed such a force the preferred option. He said the aircraft
would provide mobility and rapid response that "offers the fastest route to
a secure environment and eventual return to normality."
The second option increases troop presence to compensate for fewer
aircraft. Annan cited 18,600 troops with two additional infantry battalions
but fewer aircraft, which he deemed "the most challenging option to deploy
and sustain."
The last UN option called for 15,300 troops. The reduction in troops
would be accompanied by six additional helicopters and three extra rapid
reaction companies.
"With fewer troops deployed, it carries a higher degree of risk on the
protection of civilians," the report said.
The need for a large peace-keeping force was outlined amid Khartoum's
offensive in Darfour. On July 28, Sudan's President Omar Bashir said Darfour
would become a "graveyard" for UN forces.
"I appeal to the Sudanese authorities to ensure that the aims and the
ideals of the United Nations are neither contorted nor misrepresented to
suit political ends," Annan said.
