Darfur mission faces US funding hurdle (US in arrears for peacekeeping)

Source: The Guardian

A breakthrough agreement to deploy a United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur risks being undermined by a shortfall of up to $1bn in US contributions to the costs of global peacekeeping, campaigners said today.

A UN delegation announced yesterday that Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president, had agreed at talks in Khartoum to allow the deployment of a 20,000-strong UN and African Union hybrid force by next year.

The deal ended months of wrangling and followed a direct threat by president George Bush to impose additional sanctions on the Sudanese government.

~snip~

If this is left unaddressed, US arrears to the UN will exceed $1bn by the end of 2007 for peacekeeping alone," he added.

Deborah Derrick, executive director of the Better World Campaign, said the new Darfur agreement was being threatened by the Bush administration's failure to pay its dues.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2105877,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

:kick: