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Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations

Volume 463: debated on Thursday 19 July 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 217W, on Sudan: peacekeeping operations, whether it is UK policy that the forthcoming UN Security Council resolution mandating the deployment of the AU-UN hybrid force should include provision for a no-fly zone and enhanced air monitoring in Darfur. (148976)

We are considering a number of measures to improve air monitoring in Darfur. Such measures will not be included in the UN Security Council Resolution that we are currently preparing with other Security Council members. This resolution will mandate the UN elements of the joint African Union (AU)/UN peacekeeping force for Darfur, as set out in the report produced by the AU and UN and presented to the Government of Sudan in Addis Ababa on 12 June. Copies of this report are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 218W, on Sudan: peacekeeping operations, how many African troops the UN is seeking to source for the AU-UN hybrid force; how many African countries have indicated their willingness to supply troops; and when a decision on whether to begin sourcing non-African troops would be made. (148977)

The African Union and UN have agreed that the hybrid force should include up to 19,555 troops. The UN will source troops from non-African countries if there are not sufficient African troops available. The formal process of force generation will be carried out by the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations, once a UN Security Council Resolution has been passed mandating the force.