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 Security Council condemns Sudan and threatened
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Security Council condemns Sudan attack on Darfur force
Saturday 12 January 2008 05:30. Printer-Friendly version Comments...
January 11, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) —
The U.N. Security Council on Friday strongly condemned an
attack by Sudanese army troops on a peacekeeping
convoy and threatened action against anyone hindering
the deployment of international peacekeepers.
The Security Council expresses its readiness to take action
against any party that impedes the peace process, humanitarian
aid or the deployment of UNAMID," a council statement said,
referring to the joint mission of the United Nations
and the African Union in Darfur.
The council said it "condemns in the strongest possible
terms" Monday’s attack, blaming it on what it called
"elements of the Sudanese armed forces,"
as reported by UNAMID earlier this week.
Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem,
told reporters that since the statement used the wording "elements"
of the army, Khartoum did not view it as a condemnation
of the Sudanese government.
"Elements can mean anything," he said.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters there was a
"range of things" the council could do if there were any more such
attacks on UNAMID, including the imposition of sanctions.
Abdalhaleem dismissed the threat of possible action by the council.
He said the 15-nation body had issued many warnings in the past but
had never followed through.
"Unfortunately the council has yet to take any action against this
because it has failed to take action on the rebels who
massacred the (former African Union) forces," he said,
referring to an attack in the town of Haskanita in September.
Sudan admitted on Thursday its troops had opened fire on
the peacekeeping convoy, despite an earlier denial by Abdalhaleem,
who blamed it on the Justice and Equality movement, a rebel group
in Darfur. A spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces said the
attack was a "shared mistake."
Abdalhaleem insisted on Friday that
"the government did not attack UNAMID."
The Sudanese army spokesman said UNAMID had failed to ask
for permission to pass through the area, Sudan’s state news
agency reported. The United Nations has said it did tell
the Sudanese army about the convoy’s route in advance.
The United States and Britain have accused Sudan of dragging its
feet in approving the full deployment of U.N.-AU forces, due to number
26,000 compared with the present 9,000.
But human rights groups have accused U.N. member states
of failing to provide helicopters and other
equipment necessary for the peacekeepers to
effectively carry out their mission.
International experts estimate 200,000 people have died since
mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in Darfur in 2003,
accusing the central government of neglecting the remote region.
Khartoum says the West is exaggerating the conflict.
(Reuters)
http://sudaneseonline.com/spip.php?article25543
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