UN Says Darfur Peacekeepers Still Need Helicopters

A joint United Nations/African Union UNAMID force, set up in January, was supposed to have 26,000 soldiers and police.

U.N. peacekeeping efforts in Darfur have been hamstrung by the failure of countries to provide the force with helicopters and other vital equipment, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.

Briefing the U.N. Security Council, U.N. under-secretary-general for peacekeeping Alain Le Roy said millions of people were living in refugee camps, including 100,000 driven from their homes in the last six months.

A joint United Nations/African Union UNAMID force, set up in January, was supposed to have 26,000 soldiers and police in the west Sudanese region, which is about the size of France.

The United Nations had initially hoped to get 80 percent of the force on the ground by the end of its first year. In October, following a string of holdups, it lowered that to 60 percent. Figures released this week showed it would struggle to meet even that target.

"For over one year we have been requesting pledges for a multi-role logistics unit, a medium transport unit, a heavy transport unit, an aerial reconnaissance unit, light tactical helicopters, and 18 medium-utility helicopters," Le Roy said.

"Pledges for these resources have been, and still are, outstanding," Le Roy said, urging countries with the capability to come up with the equipment without delay.

Years of fighting in Darfur has killed 200,000 people and driven more than 2.5 million from their homes, international experts say.

Le Roy said violence continued despite a unilateral cease-fire declared by the Sudanese government. He said government forces had conducted air strikes in recent months, while rebel groups had attacked government forces.