Rwandan troops land in Sudan
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KHARTOUM, Sudan -- A contingent of Rwandan troops is in Sudan to protect about 80 African Union cease-fire monitors in the crisis-torn Darfur region.
The Rwandans, who arrived on Sunday as part of an African Union (AU) force, are the first international troops deployed to the region where tens of thousands of people have been killed in ethnic violence.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Saturday his soldiers would also intervene to protect civilians in danger.
Greeting the troops, the head of the AU ceasefire commission, Festus Okonkwo, told the troops to take their mandate as a protection force for the 118 AU monitors currently in Darfur "as a Bible," Reuters reported.
But he added that on humanitarian grounds they could take action to protect civilians in danger.
"Your assignment here is to protect all AU personnel in the mission," Okonkwo told the troops dressed in new, beige camouflage uniforms and green berets at the AU headquarters in El Fasher, capital of Northern Darfur state.
"So at any time remember that is your basic assignment. Any other assignment outside that is on humanitarian grounds. That is not your mandate so ... make sure that every officer here understands the rules of engagement," he added.
The comments again brought into question what role the initial 308 Nigerian and Rwandan forces will play in Darfur, a remote area the size of France.
Khartoum has rejected a peacekeeping role for any troops other than Sudanese. The AU has said it hopes to increase the number of troops to 2,000.
The deployment comes amid intense international efforts to end the crisis.
Sudan's government says it has ordered tribal leaders to disarm Arab militias, blamed for the violence.
President Omar el-Bashir said on Saturday that his forces were working to stamp out the "plotters" and "enemies" fomenting the crisis.
Aid workers, however, say attacks on civilians are continuing.
"The Sudanese government insists that it is taking significant measures, but the continuing atrocities in Darfur prove that Khartoum's claims simply aren't credible," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director for Human Rights Watch's Africa Division.
"If the government were serious about wanting to protect civilians, it would welcome a greater international presence," he added.
The United States, European Union and humanitarian groups have accused el-Bashir's government of backing Arab militiamen, known as the Janjaweed, with vehicles, helicopters and airplanes to attack Arab tribes people in the country's western Darfur states.
The Sudanese government rejects the claims.
"Every good thing that happens to Sudan is unfavorably received by plotters involved in a conspiracy (against the government) and, subsequently, the plotting of the enemies increases," el-Bashir said in his speech.
'Lack of security'
The United Nations' envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, is pessimistic the government in Khartoum will be able to meet is commitments to relieve the country's growing humanitarian crisis.
Pronk said earlier this week that a lack of security was holding back the return of about 1 million displaced people to their homes.
"I don't see a voluntary return of more than 1 million displaced people to their villages to start in the next three weeks because of lack of security," Pronk said, according to The Associated Press.
Pronk described the Darfur situation as a "tragedy" in which people were still being killed, and he demanded the Khartoum-based Arab-dominated government stop violence and question anyone connected with these "terrorist acts."
The Sudanese army has said its armed forces are adhering to an April 8 cease-fire agreement.
The United Nations describes the situation in Darfur, brought on by 18 months of internal conflict, as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Pro-government Arab militias have been waging a counterinsurgency campaign that has led to widespread destruction, as many as 30,000 deaths and the displacement of around 1 million people.
Aid agencies estimate about 2 million people are in urgent need of food and medical aid.
The 18-month conflict in Sudan began when black African factions in Darfur rose up against the Sudanese government, claiming discrimination in the distribution of scarce resources in the large, arid region.
Since then, government-backed Arab militias, have gone on a rampage, destroying villages, killing and raping.
Under a joint plan agreed with the United Nations, Sudan said it would establish safe areas for displaced refugees and halt military operations in those regions.
The U.N. Security Council gave Sudan an August 30 deadline to disarm the militias.
A July 30 resolution also demanded Khartoum improve security, human rights and humanitarian assistance in Darfur.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
