2007年VOA标准英语-US Presses Chad to Accept UN Peacekeeping Force

（单词翻译）

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
20 March 2007

A U.S. State Department official says the United States is pressing Chad to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force to help secure regional stability. The official told Congress the violence in the neighboring Darfur region of Sudan has spread over the border into Chad. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

 
In testimony¹ before a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State For African Affairs James Swan underscored the importance of having a U.N. peacekeeping force in Chad and the Central African Republic, where ethnic² violence has spilled over the borders from Sudan's Darfur region.

"Our primary focus at this point is in supporting a robust³ U.N. peacekeeping operation for Chad and Central African Republic that would focus both on protecting civilians⁵ and also deterring⁶ cross-border attack," said Swan.

"We believe the presence of such a mission, and particularly the execution of its civilian⁴ protection and monitoring mission, would lead to a reduction in violence," he added.

The government in the Central African Republic is willing to accept such a mission, but as Swan noted⁷, Chad is resisting the idea.

"We were disappointed by the Chadian government's recent indications of concern over the military component⁸ of the proposed mission, and, specifically, the deployment⁹ of an advanced mission," he said. "We are continuing to engage President [Idriss] Deby to convince him to accept a military force as part of this package."

Swan said, if the international community finds it difficult to contribute large numbers of troops to such a mission, the United States would support a smaller force, backed by heavy equipment.

"We recognize that, with already 100,000 international peacekeeping troops currently deployed¹⁰ worldwide, that force generation for the Chad-CAR mission is going to be a challenge," said Swan.

"Therefore, if it becomes necessary, we are willing to consider alternative options, including those that might involve a slight decrease in the number of troops, in exchange for greater logistical support and equipment, including helicopters that would keep the force agile¹¹ and still muscular," he continued.

Swan will visit Chad and the Central African Republic next week.

Violence from Darfur began spreading into eastern Chad in late 2005. Armed militias¹² have attacked many villages in the region, robbing people and burning down homes.

 
A displaced Sudanese woman carries her sons in the Otach Displaced Persons camp in the city of Nyala in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region, 22 Feb 2007
The United Nations says the violence has displaced thousands of Chadians, about 20,000 of whom have sought refuge in West Darfur.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Swan says poor governance is a major cause of Chadian instability. He says U.S. policy toward Chad emphasizes democratic reform, respect for human rights and transparent¹³ governance.

Swan also said the violence in Chad has forced relief organizations to reduce their presence in the country.

The president of Refugees International, Ken¹⁴ Bacon, told the Senate panel that the international community must do more to help those displaced by the violence in Chad.

"Although the United Nations is working to improve humanitarian¹⁵ services for refugees in Darfur, aid for the internally displaced populations in eastern Chad has been completely inadequate," said Ken Bacon.

International Crisis Group Senior Adviser¹⁶ John Prendergast called for the United States to take a more active role in seeking a political solution to the region's conflicts.

"The level of U.S. engagement has to be expanded, I think, exponentially, coordinated¹⁷ much more multilaterally to achieve any headway in ending the violence," said John Prendergast.

"The United States should establish a conflict resolution cell in the region that focuses not only on this conflict cluster, but also on another one - the damaging one that involves the Congo and northern Uganda and southern Sudan," he added.

The chairman of the Senate panel, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, has introduced a resolution calling for a comprehensive strategy to bring peace and stability to the region.

The measure would have the United States develop, fund and implement¹⁸ a plan to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian operations, contain and reduce violence and contribute conditions for sustainable peace in eastern Chad, Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.