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US Encouraged by Darfur Rebel Agreement

The U.S. special envoy for Sudan, AndrewSudan, the U.N. Security Council last week
Natsios, says he is encouraged by theapproved a resolution authorizing a force of
agreement reached Monday by eight Darfur26,000 U.N. and African Union peacekeepers to
rebel groups on a common platform for peacereplace a beleaguered 7,000 member A.U.
talks with the Sudanese government. Formalmission,  in  Darfur  since  2004.
negotiations between the Khartoum government
and the rebels are expected to begin inThe handover of authority from the African
October. VOA's David Gollust reports theUnion 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 diplomacymechanism 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 thebefore  year's  end.
troubled  region.
The mission will be led by a Nigerian
But Natsios says the only way to end thecommander and, at the insistence of Sudan,
Darfur crisis is through a politicalwill 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, Tanzaniawill have to be used to round out the
among rebel groups on a common platform inpeacekeeping 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 calledSudanese government that we're going to have
the Arusha agreement, and last week'sto go outside Africa," said Natsios. "This is
unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution ona sensitive issue internally within certain
Darfur peacekeeping, "critical turningconstituencies 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, andexpect that the Sudanese government is going
now will begin a formal sequencing of eventsto implement what they've agreed to, which is
that I hope will lead to a politicalthat 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 goingadded.
to be resolved is through a political
settlement. In many respects the purpose ofNatsios said he does not think Sudan will
the peacekeeping force, beyond protection ofrenege on the peacekeeping understanding but
the civilians and non-combatants and thehe noted that if it does, President Bush has
relief effort, is to implement a peacealready made clear the United States would
settlement. In fact that's specificallypursue  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 weeksassessment system, will pay more than
ago, said he believes Sudanese authoritiesone-fourth of the cost of the Darfur force
are prepared to be flexible in the Octoberand may also provide some logistical support,
negotiations, even though the Khartoumas it did for the African Union deployment.
government has said it is not prepared toBut he said he cannot envisage American
renegotiate terms of the Darfur peace deal ittroops being part of the U.N. mission,
signed with some rebel factions in Nigeria inlargely because Sudan would not consider the
May  last  year.United  States  a  neutral  party.
The fractious Darfur rebels, in their unityThe conflict in Darfur began in early 2003
accord this week brokered by U.N. Specialwhen local rebels took up arms against the
Envoy Jan Eliasson and his African Uniongovernment. Khartoum responded by backing
counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim, agreed on aArab militia allies in a scorched earth
common approach on power, wealth-sharing andcampaign 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



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