UN 'struggling' to secure peacekeeping pledges
Diplomats have been meeting at the UN headquarters to discuss the new peacekeeping force
Also In The News
|
Andy Murray has continued his fine run in the Cincinnati Masters with a three-set victory over American Robby Ginepri. |  |
Friday, 18, Aug 2006 11:01
The United Nations (UN) is struggling to find countries willing to contribute to the international peacekeeping force due to be sent to southern Lebanon in the next fortnight.
The UN has said that it hopes to deploy an advance contingent of some 3,500 soldiers in the region within the next two weeks, while further foreign troops will be deployed later in order to create an international force of up to 15,000 to police the current ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbullah.
Under the terms of the UN security council resolution adopted on August 11th, the international force, which will augment existing UN troops in Lebanon, will assist the Lebanese army in helping to maintain the fragile truce between Israel and Hizbullah in the country's southern region.
But it has emerged today that many European nations are reluctant to provide troops because of fears that upsurges in guerrilla fighting could result in high casualties.
Following a meeting with diplomats from almost 50 countries to discuss potential troop contributions, UN deputy secretary general Mark Malloch Brown said that "in quantitative terms" offers had been received to meet the 15-day deadline for the deployment of an advance force in southern Lebanon.
Speaking after the discussions in New York, he warned that details of the deployment had yet to be decided, saying that any delay could threaten the delicate ceasefire in the Middle East, which came into force on Monday following a month-long conflict.
Although Italy has volunteered 3,000 soldiers to the force, France has said it will provide only 200 - disappointing to those who had expected the former colonial power in the Levant to take greater responsibility for the peacekeeping force.
"We had hoped - we make no secret of it - that there would be a stronger French contribution," said Mr Malloch Brown, expressing disappointment at Paris' decision.
Warning that there was still "a lot of work to be done" in the coming days to meet the UN's deadline for the deployment of an advance force in Lebanon, Mr Malloch Brown added: "Every moment we delay is a moment of risk that the fighting could re-erupt."
During yesterday's meeting, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal pledged to provide ground troops in southern Lebanon, while Germany and Denmark have offered maritime and border patrols, UN officials said.
It is feared that Asian nations are likely to end up making up most of the numbers in the force.
Britain's ambassador to the UN, Emyr Jones Parry, said the country had pledged a "quite substantial" commitment to provide maritime and aviation support to the expanded UN force, while it is understood that the United States will not contribute troops, but will instead provide logistical backing.
However, he stressed that as a result of other countries offering resources, the UN were "pretty convinced" that it had the elements necessary to provide a "strong force" in Lebanon.