Currently estimated to cost over $2 billion, the hybrid operation in Darfur under the first option provides for the full deployment of 19,555 military personnel, including 240 military observers and up to 120 liaison officers. The projection also provides for the full placement of 3,772 police officers and 2,660 formed police (19 formed politic units); and the full deployment of 5,009 civilian personnel, according to a July 5 Security Council report.

 

The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006. The UN provided technical assistance for the AU troops to maneuver into Darfur.

The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) created the hybrid force in three phases. The three phases, according to a DPKO official, are: light, heavy, and hybrid. Rodolphe Adada of the Congo was appointed as the Joint AU-UN Special Representative (JSR) to Darfur.

As of mid-July 2007, UN Humanitarian agencies have given aid to 4.2 million displaced persons since the fighting began. More than $650 million in aid was set aside for Darfur in 2007 and more than 80 NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent societies, and 13 UN agencies are involved in the humanitarian effort.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was in Geneva on July 13, negating claims that there is state-sanctioned violence in Sudan. The Security Council imposed an arms embargo on all non-governmental actors and individuals, including the Janjaweed as of July 30, 2004 (Resolution 1556). It was later strengthened with Resolution 1591 (2005), and included a travel ban for four individuals implicated in the rampant violence.

Subsequently, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno indicated last month that the Sudanese government had accepted that the United Nations would have overall operational control of the force while day-to-day operations would be in the hands of its African commanders. Many Security Council members wanted that spelled out clearly in a resolution. Meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is pursuing a political settlement in Darfur as a top priority.

More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed and at least 2 million displaced from their homes since war has broken out between the Government of Sudan, Janjaweed militia, and other rebel groups. The weakest sectors of society have been affected, with the mass rape of women as a tool of terror according to the UN.

On June 9, 2007, the Special Envoys to Sudan, Jan Eliasson and African Union representative Salim Ahmed Salim are “in pursuit of political progress.” On June 17, 2007, the Security Council met with President al-Bashir to “seek explicit acceptance of all elements of the Hybrid operation.” The members recommended joint funding of the operation, and received assurances that all command, control, and systems will be implemented by the UN.

A peace agreement signed a year ago between President Omar al-Bashir’s government and one rebel group in Darfur has been ineffective because more than a dozen other rebel factions refused to sign on, continuing the violence.

The draft resolution asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to report to the council in three months on progress and problems with deploying the light and heavy support packages; to implementing a UN-Sudan agreement to speed up humanitarian assistance; to promoting a political settlement; to achieving a cease-fire; and to implementing last year’s Darfur Peace Agreement.

Eliasson is having consultations with Darfur rebel groups and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe said in a July 13 press conference. Then Mr. Eliasson heads to Tripoli, Libya, for a two-day meeting starting on Sunday that he will be jointly chairing with his African Union counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim. President Bush said of his July 17 meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, “We discussed a lot of issues. We have discussed Darfur. We discussed proliferation. We discussed the potential trial for—about Hariri. The Secretary General and I talked about the speech I gave yesterday on the Middle East. We have talked about Afghanistan and Iraq. And one of the things I briefed the Secretary on was my views about extremism and these radicals that will do anything to disrupt the goals set by the United Nations and/or disrupt the advance of democracy in peaceful societies.”

“In Darfur situation we have made considerable progress. And we are going to step up the political process. We have made a positive development yesterday in Tripoli through the meeting chaired by United Nations and African Union,” said Ban. “We are going to have negotiation, pre-negotiation in Arusha, Tanzania in early August. We are also going to facilitate humanitarian assistance. I’m going to step up efforts to deploy hybrid operations as soon as possible in Darfur to resolve this issue as soon as possible. In that regard, I appreciate U.S. government strong support in this matter.”