Britain, U.S. Say No U.N. Exit from Darfur

Britain and the United States said Monday it was too soon for U.N. peacekeepers to leave Sudan's troubled Darfur region as the Security Council extended the mission for another year.

The United Nations is holding talks to address Sudan's demands for an exit strategy for the 17,000-strong UNAMID force run jointly with the African Union.

But the resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council made clear that the Sudanese government must show progress in resolving the Darfur conflict before any pullout can be decided.

"Any discussion of an exit for the mission at this stage is premature," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters.

There has been an upsurge in violence in Darfur as the Sudanese army has waged an offensive to root out rebel groups, with at least 78,000 people driven from their homes this year, according to the U.N.

"2014 saw the worst level of suffering in the last ten years," said Rycroft. "Now is not the time to cut and run."

US Ambassador Samantha Power said that given the "very high level of violence and very large numbers of displaced, UNAMID's presence is needed now more than ever."

The resolution laid out detailed benchmarks on achieving progress in a political process, protecting civilians, allowing humanitarian aid and addressing the "root causes" of the conflict.

The measure extends the mandate of the peace force until June 2016.

- No open warfare - 

Darfur has been wracked by conflict since 2003, when ethnic insurgents launched a campaign against the Arab-dominated government of President Omar al-Bashir.

Wanted for trial in The Hague for war crimes, Bashir recently returned from a trip to South Africa where he again avoided arrest despite the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Abdul Wahid Nur, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement that has been battling Bashir’s regime since 2003, said the peace force should stay in Darfur and its mandate should be strengthened.

"We call for UNAMID first to stay there and to strengthen their mandate because at the moment there is no peace to be kept. UNAMID has to be reformed to protect people in Darfur," Nur told AFP by phone from France.

Sudan's Deputy Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan told the council that talks on an exit strategy must continue and said there was no "open warfare" in Darfur, but simply "tribal clashes."

"The province of western Darfur should form the first stage of the implementation of UNAMID's exit strategy," said the envoy.  

He said that a UNAMID presence was no longer needed in western Darfur and "should be replaced by funds to help reconstruction."