Security Council extends mandate of UN-AU force in Darfur

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate of UN-African Union troops in Darfur, despite an abstention from United States over a call to defer indictment of Sudan's president for genocideFourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favor of Resolution 1828 that extends the mandate of the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID) for one year from Thursday, when it had been set to expire.

Britain's UN Ambassador John Sawers, whose delegation drafted the text, made it clear that there was "unanimous support" among council members for UNAMID and the extension of its mandate.

Diplomats said the US delegation earlier raised 11th-hour objections to compromise language agreed Wednesday that finessed sharp differences over a call to delay a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on whether to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir on genocide charges.

An amendment sought by South Africa and Libya on behalf of the African Union (AU) was not included in the final draft, which instead included compromise language noting concern that any indictment of Beshir might jeopardize the Darfur peace process.

"The United States abstained in the vote because language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to Sudanese President Beshir and undermine efforts to bring him and others to justice," Alejandro Wolff, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, said.

"There is no compromise on the issue of justice," he added, after dismissing suggestions that the US delegation had given its consent to the compromise language.

Wolff however stressed that Washington "strongly supports the extension of UNAMID's mandate."

China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya hailed the adoption of this "important resolution," which provided the "basic guarantee for the success" of what will be the United Nations' largest peacekeeping operation.

Moreno-Ocampo has demanded Beshir's arrest for allegedly ordering his forces to annihilate three ethnic groups in Darfur, masterminding murder, torture, pillaging and using rape to commit genocide.

Wang described Moreno-Ocampo's demand as "an inappropriate decision at an inappropriate time."

His Russian counterpart Vitaly Churkin agreed, noting that two thirds of the UN membership, including the AU, the Arab League and the nonaligned movement, favored a proposal for a one-year deferral of any Beshir indictment.

He expressed fears that hardline Darfur rebels might use Moreno-Ocampo's move to "take advantage of the situation and step up their campaign" against the Khartoum government.

Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad expressed gratitude to those council members who backed the text and had high praise for the British delegation.

"They discussed in good faith with everybody," he told reporters. "They were very cooperative."

The Sudanese envoy also warned that the Moreno-Ocampo's call for Beshir's arrest "would be a recipe for destruction and waste" but reiterated Khartoum's pledge "to honor its obligations toward UNAMID."

France's deputy ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the council expected "Khartoum's cooperation in promoting progress in the political process and its full cooperation with the ICC."

The British resolution also calls for an end to violence by all parties in Darfur; urges UN member states to provide crucial transport helicopters and logistical units to UNAMID; and welcomes Ban's intention to deploy 80 percent of the force by the end of December.

Human Rights Watch welcomed the vote and criticized any move to delay ICC proceedings.

"The US decision to abstain is clearly a vote against giving President al-Beshir a get-out-of-jail-free card," said Richard Dicker, director of the rights group's International Justice Program.

"This attempt to halt the ICC's work is blatant political interference with an independent court," said Dicker.

Only a third of UNAMID's mandated 26,000 personnel have deployed. The mission says it needs 24 transport and attack helicopters to protect civilians adequately.

The United Nations says that up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the conflict in Darfur erupted in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.