The African Union's effort to stabilize the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region has become a symbol of the unfulfilled potential of regional groups to mediate conflicts. Poorly equipped and underfunded AU troops attempting to calm the war-torn region were absorbed into a joint AU-U.N. force in January in hopes of better protecting civilians.
The joint force aims to deploy 26,000 troops by the end of the year, but so far, only 9,000 are on the ground. The deployment has been delayed in part by Sudan's insistence that all the forces be composed of African soldiers.
Another African country, Somalia, on the other hand, is pleading for U.N. troops. President Abdullahi Yusuf asked the Security Council to authorize peacekeepers to help stabilize the country, which faces a rebellion led by Islamic militants. He also chided the council for not fulfilling its "cheerful pledges" of money and help for Somalia's new government. Council members have resisted authorizing peacekeepers because there is not yet peace in Somalia.
"Peacekeeping operations should be a means to an end, rather than a substitute for resolving conflicts or an excuse for delay," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said.
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maggie.farley@latimes.com
