Britain, France, U.S. Seek Action over U.N. Failings in Darfur

Britain, France and the United States are demanding that action be taken against senior officials from the U.N. mission in Sudan's Darfur who failed to report crimes by Sudanese forces, diplomats said Wednesday.

An internal U.N. probe of allegations that the U.N.-African Union UNAMID mission in Darfur was covering up crimes by Sudanese forces against civilians found that there was an under-reporting of crimes.

But the special review team which looked at 16 incidents, some of which involved possible wrongdoing by Sudanese government or pro-government forces, concluded that there was no evidence of a willful coverup.

Representatives from the three countries met with Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson this week to make the case that UNAMID officials should answer for the failings of the mission. 

"We believe there are senior people in the mission who ought to be held accountable," a senior western diplomat said.

"We were disappointed by the report," said another diplomat. "The credibility of this mission is at stake. We find the recommendations a bit light."

The review found that UNAMID officials withheld details about attacks in their reports to U.N. headquarters and maintained silence in their dealings with the press.

"Keeping silent or under-reporting on incidents involving human rights violations and threats or attacks on U.N. peacekeepers cannot be condoned under any circumstances," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said last week.

The 13,000-strong UNAMID force is tasked with protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid in the western region of Sudan, where more than two million people have been displaced by 11 years of conflict.

Deployed since 2007, the mission has been plagued with problems mostly over its dual-command structure by which the United Nations and the African Union are both running operations.