2006年VOA标准英语-UN Security Council Delegation Meets With

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
06 June 2006

A delegation¹ from the United Nations Security Council is in Sudan Tuesday to persuade the Sudanese government to accept U.N. peacekeepers into the volatile² Darfur region.

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Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry (l) and Sudan's Foreign Minister Lam Akol Ajawin  
  

The group, led by Britain's ambassador to the U.N., Emyr Jones Parry, says the United Nations wants to work side-by-side with the Sudanese government to increase security in Darfur, not to usurp³ the government's powers.

In the past, Sudan has resisted suggestions that U.N. peacekeepers take over from about 7,000 African Union troops currently stationed in the volatile area, arguing that such a move would comprise Sudan's sovereignty and be tantamount to an "invasion."

The government has argued that it would prefer to see more support given to the current African Union mission rather than bringing in U.N. troops.

Lately, the government has been more open to the idea of U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur. An advisor⁴ to the information minister, Rabie Abdul Atti, describes to VOA his government's vision of what such a force would look like.

"If the U.N. peacekeeping force will play a humanitarian⁵ [role] and assist the government and assist the armed forces to implement⁶ the Darfur peace agreement, if this U.N. peacekeeping forces play a role of facilitation in respect of humanitarian issues, I think there will not be any problem with the Sudan government or the Sudan people and the U.N. forces," he said.

Some U.N. Security Council members say the Sudanese government has failed to protect its own people during the conflict, which has killed an estimated 180,000 people and left about two million homeless.

Advisor Atti rejects such an assessment⁷.

"I think the Sudan government has done a lot to protect civilians⁸ in Darfur," said Mr. Atti.  "[The] Sudan government is sending a lot of police forces to protect civilians and also to protect all people living in camps."

The Darfur conflict began three years ago when rebels took up arms to protest what they said was economic and political marginalization of their area by the Khartoum government.

The fighting is between two main rebel groups, the Sudanese army, and an Arab militia⁹ known as "janjaweed" said to be backed by the Sudanese government.

The push to bring U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur follows a peace agreement that the Sudanese government and one main rebel group signed May 5.

The United States calls the Darfur conflict "genocide" and is one of the countries pushing for U.N. peacekeepers in the area.

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

3 usurp   

vt.篡夺，霸占；vi.篡位

参考例句：

• Their position enabled them to usurp power.他们所处的地位使其得以篡权。
• You must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest.你不应让它过多地占据你的兴趣。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。