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