U.N approves Sending 26,000 troops to Darfur

[Spider-Bite]

U.N. approves sending 26,000 troops to Darfur

Peacekeeping force part of effort to stem violence that has killed 200,000

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur on Tuesday to try to help end four years of fighting that has killed more than 200,000 people in the conflict-wracked Sudanese region.
The force — the first joint peacekeeping mission by the African Union and the United Nations — will replace the beleaguered 7,000-strong AU force now on the ground in Darfur no later than Dec. 31. The council urged that the AU-U.N. “hybrid” force achieve “full operational capability and force strength as soon as possible thereafter.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called it a “historic and unprecedented resolution” that will send “a clear and powerful signal” of the U.N.’s commitment to help to the people of Darfur and the surrounding region “and close this tragic chapter in Sudan’s history.”

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry called it “an unprecedented undertaking in scale, complexity and importance.”
African force not successful
The conflict in Darfur began in February 2003 when ethnic African tribes rebelled against what they consider decades of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government. Sudan’s government is accused of retaliating by unleashing a militia of Arab nomads known as the janjaweed — a charge it denies.
The poorly equipped and underfunded African Union force has been unable to stop the fighting, and neither has the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed a year ago by the government and one rebel group. Other rebel factions called the deal insufficient, and fighting has continued.
The U.N. and Western governments have pressed Sudan since November to accept a U.N. plan for a joint force. After stalling for months, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir agreed in April to a “heavy support package” to strengthen the AU force, including 3,000 U.N. troops, police and civilian personnel along with aircraft and other equipment.

The resolution lays the groundwork for the deployment of the much larger 26,000-strong hybrid force, which will be called UNAMID. The force will have up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, a civilian component including up to 3,772 international police, and 19 special police units with up to 2,660 officers.
'The necessary action'
Sudan’s U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, reacted harshly to earlier versions of the resolution, calling one circulated last week “ugly” and “awful.” Britain and France, the key sponsors of the resolution, stripped harsh language in an attempt to win approval.
The final draft has one section under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which deals with threats to peace and security and can be militarily enforced.
It authorizes UNAMID to take “the necessary action” to protect and ensure freedom of movement for its own personnel and

It also authorizes the hybrid force to take action to “support early and effective implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and prevent the disruption of its implementation and armed attacks, and thus to protect civilians, without prejudice to the responsibility of the government of Sudan.”
But the final resolution dropped Chapter 7 authorization to monitor the presence of arms in Darfur in violation of U.N. resolutions and the peace agreement, which Sudan strongly objected to.

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20056711/

 

[Mee]

26,001.

Counting blind_fury.

 

[Symbiotic]

U.N. approves sending 26,000 troops to Darfur

Peacekeeping force part of effort to stem violence that has killed 200,000

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur on Tuesday to try to help end four years of fighting that has killed more than 200,000 people in the conflict-wracked Sudanese region.
The force — the first joint peacekeeping mission by the African Union and the United Nations — will replace the beleaguered 7,000-strong AU force now on the ground in Darfur no later than Dec. 31. The council urged that the AU-U.N. “hybrid” force achieve “full operational capability and force strength as soon as possible thereafter.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called it a “historic and unprecedented resolution” that will send “a clear and powerful signal” of the U.N.’s commitment to help to the people of Darfur and the surrounding region “and close this tragic chapter in Sudan’s history.”

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry called it “an unprecedented undertaking in scale, complexity and importance.”
African force not successful
The conflict in Darfur began in February 2003 when ethnic African tribes rebelled against what they consider decades of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government. Sudan’s government is accused of retaliating by unleashing a militia of Arab nomads known as the janjaweed — a charge it denies.
The poorly equipped and underfunded African Union force has been unable to stop the fighting, and neither has the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed a year ago by the government and one rebel group. Other rebel factions called the deal insufficient, and fighting has continued.
The U.N. and Western governments have pressed Sudan since November to accept a U.N. plan for a joint force. After stalling for months, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir agreed in April to a “heavy support package” to strengthen the AU force, including 3,000 U.N. troops, police and civilian personnel along with aircraft and other equipment.

The resolution lays the groundwork for the deployment of the much larger 26,000-strong hybrid force, which will be called UNAMID. The force will have up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, a civilian component including up to 3,772 international police, and 19 special police units with up to 2,660 officers.
'The necessary action'
Sudan’s U.N. ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, reacted harshly to earlier versions of the resolution, calling one circulated last week “ugly” and “awful.” Britain and France, the key sponsors of the resolution, stripped harsh language in an attempt to win approval.
The final draft has one section under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which deals with threats to peace and security and can be militarily enforced.
It authorizes UNAMID to take “the necessary action” to protect and ensure freedom of movement for its own personnel and

It also authorizes the hybrid force to take action to “support early and effective implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and prevent the disruption of its implementation and armed attacks, and thus to protect civilians, without prejudice to the responsibility of the government of Sudan.”
But the final resolution dropped Chapter 7 authorization to monitor the presence of arms in Darfur in violation of U.N. resolutions and the peace agreement, which Sudan strongly objected to.

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20056711/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20056711/

for the love of... *smacks hand against forehead*

 

[Immortalfire]

26,001.

Counting blind_fury.

Yah.

 

[Holly]

bye Pete!

 

[Ghostvirus]

Wow...just wow.

I didn't even think we had that many troops to spare.

 

[bored]

Does it say how many will be sent by the U.S.? I think other nations will probably have enough to spare.

 

[Triadkd]

They must have found a new oil reserve. I cant believe that a nation with the most valuable resources on the planet would allow themselves to be raped into oblivion by european/america nations. If osama needs more soldiers he should look no further than africa. Unlike the arabs they have a reason to hate america/europe.

 

[kytrigger]

Good. Darfur is a place where are troops SHOULD be IMO. I'm glad the U.N. is actually doing something about it too instead of choking the situation to death in red tape.

I wouldn't be oppossed to sending more of our own troops over if they needed more, but my biggest fear is that so many people are so bitter over Iraq that they will instantly be against American military movement here as well.

 

[Addendum]

Sending the troops is a step in the right direction.

Whether it makes any difference remains to be seen

 

[tzarinna]

God, I hope it makes a difference.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

bye Pete!

Is there anything to kill?

 

[jaguarr]

Is there anything to kill?

blind_fury will be there.

jag

 

[Badger]

blind_fury will be there.

jag

He should be easy to spot.

 

[kainedamo]

This is fantastic news.. They should have done it months ago, heck, a year ago. Longer maybe. How many hundreds and thousands have died now?

Mugabee's a frikkin' monster thats brought his own country to its knees.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

blind_fury will be there.

jag

I'll do you proud, jag.

 

[scifiwolf]

Wonder if any actors are going to go fight over there. Lord knows that's all the talk about...

 

[Kritish]

This will make Somalia look like a successful operation. When will America learn that it isn't the self-appointed world police?

 

[vindrow]

Well at least blind_fury can hitch a ride over there now.

 

[Kritish]

Good. Darfur is a place where are troops SHOULD be IMO.

Watch Black Hawk Down

 

[dpm07]

This will make Somalia look like a successful operation. When will America learn that it isn't the self-appointed world police?

With great power comes great responsibility.

 

[Kritish]

With great power comes great responsibility.

That's cute, but I never saw it written in our constitution that it's our job to be the damn world police. It's time that America takes an isolationist stance towards word affairs. :

 

[kytrigger]

Watch Black Hawk Down

I have, and if Iraq has really taught us anything it should be to go into a hostile territory and actually be prepared for it. Doing this won't result in Black Hawk Down 2

 

[Kritish]

Doing this won't result in Black Hawk Down 2

You know this how? There's a hell of a lot of people in Darfur that don't want the UN meddling in something that they're profiting from, and as far as I'm concerned I could care less. The Swiss figured it out a long time ago, neutrality is the way to go.

 

[jaguarr]

That's cute, but I never saw it written in our constitution that it's our job to be the damn world police. It's time that America takes an isolationist stance towards word affairs. :

This is the U.N. driving this effort, not the U.S. Settle down.

jag