Despite abstentions from China, Russia and Qatar, the UN
proposal to create a peace-keeping operation in Darfur was passed
only to find itself savaged by the Sudanese government. The
proposal was vociferously condemned as 'illegal' and having been
passed without 'consulting the Sudanese government.'
Although favoring a UN peace-keeping operation in Darfur to
relieve the on-going African Union mission, Wang Guangya, China's
Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that China has major
concerns over the wording of the text and the timing of the vote,
forcing it to abstain.
Following the vote, Wang expressed China's acceptance of almost
every clause in the resolution, but that the Chinese side had urged
the cosponsors to clearly put in "with the consent of the
Government of National Unity" to the text, and to carefully
reconsider the timing of their votes.
Wang said the Darfur Peace Agreement as having instilled new
dynamics and offered new opportunities for resolving the Darfur
issue. Unfortunately, the good momentum was not fully used by the
parties involved, and the provisions of the agreement failed to
yield adequate peace measures.
What is more alarming, he noted, is that the security situation
and the humanitarian condition in Darfur have further deteriorated.
AMIS, as the only peace-keeping force in Darfur, shoulders arduous
tasks and is also confronted with enormous difficulties.
"To address and resolve the Darfur crisis, we need to bear in
mind both the sense of urgency and sober assessment of the
complexity. We need to demonstrate both the firm determination and
corresponding patience, as well as effective approach," Wang
said.
The Chinese ambassador stressed that the transition from AMIS to
a UN mission can only be possible and the mission can only be
deployed with the consent of the Sudanese government. This is the
understanding and decision of the African Union and the Security
Council respectively.?
Wang reiterated China's firm support for the peace process in
Sudan. "We call upon all major parties to act in a good faith, show
mutual respect and understanding, continue to conduct frank
dialogue, increase mutual trust and reinforce cooperation, so as to
create good political conditions for the final settlement of the
Darfur issue," he said.
The Security Council adopted the resolution on Thursday to
create a UN peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region. China,
Russia and Qatar abstained from the vote.
With the subsequent rejection of the proposal by Sudan, it seems
that more than mere goodwill will be needed to get the peace
process back on course. Few world conflicts can require such
urgency from the world community with tens of thousands killed and
over 2.5 millions forcefully displayed by the rebel forces.
Presidential Advisor Ali Tamim Fartak attacked the UN proposal
as illegal and as having been built without the accord of the
reigning Sudanese government. External observers have reported that
the government's objections may spring from fears that the UN will
arrest officials still in power for war crimes. The Darfur crisis
has been described as genocide, a claim rejected by Khartoum but
which is unlikely to carry much weight with the International
Crimes Court (ICC) investigators.
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)