Not Enough Peace Keepers For Darfur

Rwandan soldiers serving with the UNAMID peacekeeping mission take part in a military parade in northern Darfur. Residents of the Kalma displaced people camp have complained to peacekeepers about the threatening presence of government troops amid fears of a new attack after a deadly clash last month. (AFP/File/Stuart Price)

UN Won't Meet Target For Peacekeepers In Darfur
-- Yahoo News/AP

UNITED NATIONS - Only half of the 26,000 peacekeepers authorized for Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region will be deployed by the end of the year, far below the 80 percent target, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said Wednesday.

Alain Le Roy, a French diplomat who just took over the post, confirmed a report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late last month that it will take many more months to get the joint United Nations-African Union force on the ground.

The joint mission took over peacekeeping duties in Darfur from a beleaguered 7,000-strong AU force last January. As of July 31, it had just over 8,100 military personnel and fewer than 1,900 police officers on the ground, out of the 26,000 planned.

Nigerian Gen. Martin Agwai, commander of the peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, said in June that he expected to have a total of 13,000 in three or four months. He expressed optimism that 80 percent of the authorized force could be deployed by Dec. 31 — and so did Ban.

Read more ....

My Comment: Should we be surprised. Many of the contributing states have troubles at home .... they do not have the manpower or resources to contribute to a peacekeeping mission in a region that knows only war.