| The U.S. special envoy for Sudan, Andrew
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| | Sudan, the U.N. Security Council last
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| Natsios, says he is encouraged by the
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| | week approved a resolution authorizing a
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| agreement reached Monday by eight Darfur
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| | force of 26,000 U.N. and African Union
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| rebel groups on a common platform for
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| | peacekeepers to replace a beleaguered
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| peace talks with the Sudanese government.
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| | 7,000 member A.U. mission, in Darfur
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| Formal negotiations between the Khartoum
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| | since 2004.
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| government and the rebels are expected to
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| | The handover of authority from the
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| begin in October. VOA's David Gollust
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| | African Union to the hybrid force is to
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| reports the State Department.
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| | occur by December 31, though Natsios said
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| Much of the focus of international
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| | he hopes that a U.N. command structure
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| diplomacy on Darfur has been on
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| | and a funding mechanism for the new
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| assembling an upgraded international
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| | force, expected to cost $2 billion a
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| peacekeeping force for the troubled
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| | year, will be in place well before year's
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| region.
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| | end.
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| But Natsios says the only way to end the
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| | The mission will be led by a Nigerian
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| Darfur crisis is through a political
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| | commander and, at the insistence of
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| settlement, and thus he is "very
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| | Sudan, will be largely African. But
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| encouraged" by the deal struck Monday in
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| | Natsios said it is already apparent that
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| Arusha, Tanzania among rebel groups on a
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| | non-African troops will have to be used
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| common platform in advance of peace talks
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| | to round out the peacekeeping force,
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| with the government.
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| | which will be one of the largest in U.N.
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| In a telephone conference call with State
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| | history.
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| Department reporters, the U.S. envoy
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| | "I think there is an understanding by the
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| called the Arusha agreement, and last
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| | Sudanese government that we're going to
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| week's unanimous U.N. Security Council
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| | have to go outside Africa," said Natsios.
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| resolution on Darfur peacekeeping,
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| | "This is a sensitive issue internally
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| "critical turning points" in the
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| | within certain constituencies of the
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| conflict.
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| | Sudanese government, and so they're going
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| "The Arusha meeting that just concluded a
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| | to keep repeating these things."
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| couple days ago in Tanzania was, I think,
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| | "But an agreement has been reached, and
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| a reenergizing of the political process,
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| | we expect that the Sudanese government is
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| and now will begin a formal sequencing of
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| | going to implement what they've agreed
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| events that I hope will lead to a
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| | to, which is that if we can't get
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| political settlement," said Natsios.
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| | sufficient trained troops, we will go
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| "The only way the crisis in Darfur is
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| | outside of Africa, which I have to say I
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| going to be resolved is through a
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| | expect is going to happen," he added.
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| political settlement. In many respects
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| | Natsios said he does not think Sudan will
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| the purpose of the peacekeeping force,
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| | renege on the peacekeeping understanding
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| beyond protection of the civilians and
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| | but he noted that if it does, President
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| non-combatants and the relief effort, is
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| | Bush has already made clear the United
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| to implement a peace settlement. In fact
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| | States would pursue new U.N. sanctions
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| that's specifically called for in the
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| | against Khartoum.
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| resolution," he continued.
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| | He said the United States, under the U.N.
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| Natsios, who last visited Sudan three
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| | assessment system, will pay more than
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| weeks ago, said he believes Sudanese
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| | one-fourth of the cost of the Darfur
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| authorities are prepared to be flexible
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| | force and may also provide some
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| in the October negotiations, even though
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| | logistical support, as it did for the
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| the Khartoum government has said it is
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| | African Union deployment. But he said he
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| not prepared to renegotiate terms of the
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| | cannot envisage American troops being
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| Darfur peace deal it signed with some
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| | part of the U.N. mission, largely because
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| rebel factions in Nigeria in May last
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| | Sudan would not consider the United
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| year.
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| | States a neutral party.
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| The fractious Darfur rebels, in their
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| | The conflict in Darfur began in early
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| unity accord this week brokered by U.N.
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| | 2003 when local rebels took up arms
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| Special Envoy Jan Eliasson and his
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| | against the government. Khartoum
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| African Union counterpart Salim Ahmed
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| | responded by backing Arab militia allies
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| Salim, agreed on a common approach on
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| | in a scorched earth campaign in the
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| power, wealth-sharing and land and
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| | western region that led to the deaths of
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| humanitarian issues.
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| | at least 200,000 people and displaced
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| After months of bitter negotiations with
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| | more than 2 million more.
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