World powers press Sudan on Darfur U.N. force

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Sudan resisted pressure from world powers on Tuesday to accept a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur to replace an African Union force that has been unable to stem violence that Washington calls genocide.

However, at a conference in Brussels involving the United Nations, the United States and Sudan, the EU's foreign policy chief expressed hope that Khartoum might be closer to accepting a U.N. peace force.

Donors pledged around $200 million on Tuesday to help finance the AU for a few more months, but stressed they want an eventual transfer to the U.N, EU officials said.

"Can I say that the government of Sudan has changed its position as stated by President Bashir? No," Javier Solana told a news conference. Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir again ruled out U.N. troops at an AU summit early this month.

"But there is no doubt that today a lot of things have been clarified and we are closer probably to having a change in that position," Solana said.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno said he hoped there would be progress after world powers explained that a U.N. mission would help Sudan and build on existing African efforts.

"After all, we are going there to help the government, we are going to help them protect their own people," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters ahead of the talks.

Sudanese officials, who stressed before the meeting they continued to reject a U.N. role, were not available for comment.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 2.5 million forced into exile in three years of fighting in lawless Sudan.

Violence erupted in Darfur in 2003 when non-Arab rebels took up arms against the Arab dominated government, accusing it of neglect. Khartoum responded by arming a mostly Arab militia which stands accused of rape, murder and looting.

Sudan has rejected U.N. troops in Darfur, likening it to a Western invasion that could attract jihad militants and cause an Iraq-style quagmire.

But analysts say Khartoum objected to U.N. troops because it feared the soldiers would arrest any officials or militia leaders likely to be indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

CASH-STRAPPED MISSION

The African Union urged donors to finance its cash-strapped, ill-equipped, 7,000-strong peacekeeping force for a few more months before a U.N. takeover.

Tuesday's pledges were enough for the AU to run its mission until the end of September, but it needs a total of $440 million to run until the end of the year, AU Commission chairman Alpha Oumar Konare told reporters at the end of the conference.

The U.S. announced $116 million in aid and the EU 25 million euros ($31.3 million). Other pledges were the Netherlands for 25 million euros, Britain 20.0 million pounds ($36.6 million) and France 2 million euros, an EU diplomat said.

The AU had wanted to hand its operation to the United Nations at the end of September but its leaders decided earlier this month to extend the mission until the end of the year because of Sudan's opposition to any U.N. deployment.

The U.S. and the EU said a U.N. operation was the only viable option in Darfur in the long term.

"To protect innocent lives in Darfur we need an international peacekeeping operation with the capability to address the complexity of the challenges," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer Frazer told Reuters.

Frazer said the United States still hoped for a transition to the U.N. at the end of September and would otherwise not extend financial support after that date.