Brussels, 10/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - EU Member States meeting for the European Development Fund gave the go-ahead on Thursday for the final approval of a proposal to mobilise €12 million in support of an Africa Union peace keeping operation in Darfur (EUROPE yesterday p 5).
The € 12 million comes from the € 250 million from the European Development Fund to support African led peace keeping operations in Africa over twelve months, the cease-fire concluded on 28 May between the different parties in the conflict. This amount accounts for half the required funding, with some Member States (United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark) having already announced that they would also be making contributions.
The European Commission is pleased that this agreement, which was mobilised from the African Peace Facility, established on 19 April 2004 in response to a request from South Africa and just a few days after the AU had asked for it to be used in the Sudan. Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian aid Poul Nielson said: “Resolving conflicts in Africa and bringing peace to the continent will first of all require effective and responsible leadership by the Africans. The African Union has shown just that in its response to the Darfur crisis. This is greatly encouraging and raises prospects not only of a lasting end to the conflict in Darfur but for peace across the African continent. I also take great satisfaction in the swiftness[1] with which the EU has dealt with the African Union request. The Peace Facility is a new instrument that could become an important tool in the construction of the new peace and security agenda in Africa. Member States have today shown that they are willing to allow this new instrument to play just that role and that the EU will be a credible partner in the African Unions aspiration's to assume the necessary leadership of this peace and security agenda.”
The observer mission will comprise up to 120 observers and a possible protection force of 270 military personnel. The observers will: ensure that the rules and provisions of the cease-fire are implemented; define routes for the movement of forces to reduce the risks of incidents; assess requirements for de-mining operations; and receive, verify and judge complaints related to possible violations of the cease-fire.
In a statement to the press on Thursday, Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, spokesperson for Commissioner Nielson stated that, "The African Union had called on the European Union to swiftly install observers and provide an EU observer with the role of deputy president for the mission. This request is being examined. We are planning on sending 6 to 9 military observers". Asked about the means the European Commission had available to ensure that funds would reach the right destination or be used for buying weapons, the spokesperson explained that "the funds would be managed as a development project. The Commission delegation in Ethiopia would ensure the follow up in cooperation with the African Union.
The success of this observer mission is crucial as the channelling of humanitarian aid to the millions of victims as speedily as possible depended on the effective respect for the cease-fire. Donors, including the EU which has just mobilised EUR 10 million in additional supplementary aid, stressed this importance vigorously at the UN conference last week in Geneva (EUROPE 4 June p 11).