Darfur: Canada doing more than its bit/ UN force and ICC

This has got almost no coverage in our media (I wonder how the CBC missed it--could it be that this government's doing a Good Thing is, er, not newsworthy?):

Canada has committed $48 million to support African Union peacekeeping efforts in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay announced the funding late Thursday amid continued civil strife in Darfur.

"Canada is gravely concerned about the ongoing international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses in Darfur, and condemns continued ceasefire violations by all parties," MacKay said during question period.

He said the new funding is aimed at helping the African Union mission in Sudan to "enhance the protection of civilians and to facilitate safe, unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations in urgent need."

Since 2004, Canada has pledged more than $190 million to the African Union mission in Sudan, and has provided military equipment, helped train African peacekeepers, and provided food, water, sanitation, and basic health care.

Canada has also sent several dozen military observers to Sudan [44, actually - MC].

Plus more than 100 armoured personnel carriers.

Note our total figure: $190 million. Now note this:

...the EU has provided most of the financing for the AU force now in Darfur - some [US] $530 million since 2004 - and the bloc's special peace support fund for Africa has run dry.

EU foreign ministers are expected to seek extra funding Monday from the EU aid budget and from the coffers of its 27 member governments.

So on a per capita basis Canada is providing a huge deal more that the EU. No notice of that in our media either.

Meanwhile, Sudan's president is continuing his dance of the seven veils with the UN:

Sudan's president is sending a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressing his commitment to the deployment of several thousand U.N. peacekeepers to help end the violence in Darfur, Sudan's U.N. envoy said Friday.

The deployment would be the second step of a three-stage U.N. plan that would culminate in a 22,000-strong joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission.

[...]

Al-Bashir's letter expresses his commitment but also raises "issues of operational, technical and legal aspects" of the proposal, Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem told The Associated Press. He declined to elaborate.

[...]

The first phase _ a "light support" package adding some equipment, military officers and U.N. police to the AU operation _ is nearly almost complete. The second phase is a "heavy support" package that includes the deployment of more than 3,000 U.N. military, police and civilian personnel...

I doubt the recent International Criminal Court accusations will achieve anything and will, I think, just make the Sudanese dig in their heels. On the other hand, the goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commission for Refugees is in favour of them. Damian's view is here. I fear I am a convinced cynic about Darfur; Ms Jolie does get credit for trying.

Mark C.

Posted by markc at March 6, 2007 07:22 AM