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Annan Faults Sudanese Government for Darfur
 Now he tells us.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused the Sudanese government on Thursday of failing to protect citizens in Darfur from killings, rape and other violence, warning it may be held accountable for those acts in the future. He said the international community has offered to help. ``But the government has refused to accept that help,'' he said. Now ask yourself, "Kofi, why would they do that?" Last month, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir agreed in principle to allow a ``hybrid'' AU-U.N. operation, though he later reiterated his opposition to U.N. troops in Darfur. He has hinted he is trying to find a middle ground with the U.N. on how the peacekeepers could support the 7,000-strong AU force. Asked Thursday whether he was worried about the image of the U.N. failing to protect civilians in Darfur, Annan replied, ``I think the question here is, 'Who has failed?''' Other than America and George Bush you mean. ``I think the responsibility to protect the citizens is the responsibility of the government in Khartoum,'' he said. ``The government patently has not been able to do that, given all the difficulties we see in Darfur - the killings, the rape, the destruction - and the international community has offered to go in to help them, but the government has refused to accept that help.'' His head will explode when we tell him Khartoum is behind it all ... ``The failure of the government to accept that help is ... placing the government in a very difficult situation. In time they may have to answer collectively and individually for what is happening in Darfur,'' Annan warned. Annan said a U.N. team was in Ethiopia looking at ways to beef up the AU force. But he said the Security Council will only pick up the cost if it believes the U.N. can provide ``a workable, effective force that will bring some measure of security'' to Darfur and revive the peace process. Posted by: Steve White 2006-12-08 |
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