UN Struggles to Resolve the Darfur Issue

The United Nations is making enormous efforts to persuade the Khartoum administration to let the organization's forces take over in matters of peacekeeping efforts in the Darfur area, highlighting the fact that the UN wishes to cooperate with the Sudanese government and not replace it. This is the reason why a high-official UN team is due to meet with ministers in Sudan, to work towards a compromise solution.

The UN envoys, led by UK Ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones Parry, will meet president Omar al-Bashir, after conducting negotiations with Deng Alor, a top level official for governmental affairs, who is known as the Minister for the Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister, Lam Akol. In an interview with BBC Africa, Akol declared that Khartoum is willing to accept a UN force as long as it would monitor peace in Darfur, and not enforce it.

On his part, Parry confirmed that the UN and Khartoum officials have exactly these measures to implement in common: "We're doing it in support of the people of Sudan. We're not doing it for any takeover. We're doing it with the government of Sudan all the time, and we're not seeking in any way to usurp the powers of the government of Sudan".

Moreover, the UN officials stated that they would not send any troops to Darfur without the approval of the government, but they do wish for the deployment of their troops to contribute to the peace implementation stipulated in the deal signed by both the Sudanese government and the main rebel forces, though not all. Upon ending negotiations in Khartoum, the UN delegation will head to Chad and Ethiopia before ending the 10-day African tour in the Democratic republic of Congo.

Although seven thousands African Union troops have already been deployed there, they have not received any financial assistance or equipment and therefore have struggled in vain to control the violence which resulted in 200,000 deaths for the last three years.