UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is sending a high-level delegation to Sudan to seek the government's approval for a U.N. takeover of the African Union peacekeeping mission in its strife-torn Darfur region.
A mission headed by Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi will meet with senior officials in Khartoum next week to discuss the world organization's role in the war-torn region, Annan's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric said Friday.
The Sudanese government had still not given a green light for a U.N. assessment team to visit Darfur in preparation for a transition of peacekeeping operations.
"The secretary-general's message is clear," Dujarric said. "There is not a moment to lose, on the humanitarian front and on funding, as well as aid for the AU in Darfur which is under-funded and under-manned and needs international support now."
A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted Tuesday called for a mission to be sent to Sudan within a week in preparation for a transition by as many as 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers from 7,000 African troops. In the meantime, the AU troops will need international support, Dujarric said. The resolution is legally binding and threatens sanctions against anyone who hinders peace efforts in the region.
The assessment mission will determine how member states can provide support for the U.N. mission, Dujarric said.
They will be "officially approached for troops and logistical support," he said. "Just because people have not been officially approached doesn't mean that they can't start thinking about what will happen when we come knocking."
The world organization often faces difficulties in getting parliaments around the world to approve funding for U.N. missions.
U.N. Undersecretary-General Jan Egeland, the emergency relief coordinator, described a dark picture of the devastation and violence in the region, calling it a humanitarian crisis during a Security Council briefing Friday.
"What I saw in Darfur and Eastern Chad drove home how much really is at stake," Egeland, who recently returned from a trip to the region, said. In the Gereida area in South Darfur he witnessed "massive displacements, constant violence and attacks against civilians."
Despite the Darfur Peace Agreement signed between the Sudanese government and the largest rebel group earlier this month, violence and attacks on civilians and relief workers continued.
With the peace agreement "there is finally real hope that we are turning the corner," Egeland said. "But we can also still enter a downward spiral that will pull millions even further into the abyss."
He added, "The next few weeks will be absolutely critical for millions of people in this region."
The U.N. undersecretary-general called for the Sudanese government to give their support to non-government organizations and relief workers by issuing visas and provide access to strife-torn regions in the country.
He also expressed concerns about the shortfall of funding, which he said added up to only $389 million for Darfur. Because of under-funding, feeding centers are being closed, food can not be distributed and access to health care is limited, he said.
After visiting the eastern parts of neighboring Chad, Egeland said, "the threats against relief workers and the civilian population in eastern Chad are at least as serious as in Darfur."
Since the violence in Darfur broke out in early 2003, up to 250,000 people have died in connection with the conflict. About 2 million have fled and are displaced within the country or in Chad, after their villages were attacked by government forces or rebel groups.
The conflict broke out between rebel groups, including the Sudan Liberation Army, and government troops. The Sudanese government reacted by supporting Arab militiamen known as Janjaweed.
The Sudan Liberation Army signed a peace agreement with the government May 5, but other rebel factions have refused to accept it. The AU has threatened sanctions on all rebel groups that haven't signed the peace agreement by May 31.
