Rice backs major UN role in Darfur

MONROVIA – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday she favoured a major UN role in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region and told Khartoum it must cooperate in accepting international help.

Rice, on a visit to Liberia for the inauguration of Africa’s first woman president, said the African Union mission in Darfur was “not falling apart” but it needed help from the United Nations and possibly more NATO assistance. “I think it’s doing a good job but it is pretty close to the limits of what it can do in its size and configuration.There are issues in how to sustain it,” said Rice of the estimated 7 000 African Union (AU) troops struggling to keep the peace in Sudan’s vast western region.”We favour a UN mission which has the qualities of sustainability that comes from the whole UN peacekeeping system,” she added.Sudan has rejected UN suggestions that US and European troops should be sent to Darfur and argues the international community should instead provide more cash to African forces already on the ground.”I think the Khartoum government should be cooperative,” said Rice.”They have a problem in Darfur.The international community expects them to contribute to solving it and also expects them to allow the international community to contribute to solving it,” she added.Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect.Khartoum denies US charges of genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes there.- Nampa-Reuters”I think it’s doing a good job but it is pretty close to the limits of what it can do in its size and configuration.There are issues in how to sustain it,” said Rice of the estimated 7 000 African Union (AU) troops struggling to keep the peace in Sudan’s vast western region.”We favour a UN mission which has the qualities of sustainability that comes from the whole UN peacekeeping system,” she added.Sudan has rejected UN suggestions that US and European troops should be sent to Darfur and argues the international community should instead provide more cash to African forces already on the ground.”I think the Khartoum government should be cooperative,” said Rice.”They have a problem in Darfur.The international community expects them to contribute to solving it and also expects them to allow the international community to contribute to solving it,” she added.Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect.Khartoum denies US charges of genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes there.- Nampa-Reuters