2006年VOA标准英语-AU Discusses Extending Darfur Mission, Inc

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
10 March 2006

The African Union Friday discussed extending the term of its peacekeeping mission in the volatile¹ Darfur region of western Sudan until the end of this year. The head of the African Union says the extension would give time to hand over the Darfur mission to United Nations peacekeepers.

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African Union peacekeeper and colleagues in the background (File photo - Nov. 10, 2005)   
  

The United States and the European Union are among those urging Sudan to accept U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur.

Sudan is opposed to the idea. Foreign Affairs Minister Lam Akol is reported to have told Friday's closed-door session of the A.U.'s Peace and Security Council that the African Union has no legal authority to transfer its mission to the U.N. or anyone else.

Mohammed El-Samani is Sudan's minister of state for foreign affairs. He says bringing in U.N. peacekeepers would be admitting that the African Union is a failure.

"We are not in a position as (a) member of the African Union to sign on a document, which clearly means we issue a death certificate for the African Union, because we have got no logic² to send these African Union troops to anywhere, if it fails now, and if we commit that, it is a failure," he noted³.

The African Union itself is under intense international pressure to turn over its peacekeeping mission to the United Nations, primarily because of the deteriorating⁴ security in the region and shortage of funds.

A.U. Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare is quoted as saying at the start of Friday's session that extending the term of the A.U. mission from March to December of this year would give the organization time to persuade Sudan to accept the U.N. peacekeepers.

For its part, the Sudanese government has said it would only accept U.N. peacekeepers, provided that a peace agreement is reached with rebel groups operating in Darfur.

Sudan Liberation Army troops guard outside African Union headquarters in Muhajiria (2005 file photo)   
  
The Darfur conflict, which began three years ago, pits two rebel groups against the government, each other, and a militia⁵ called Janjaweed, which many say is backed by the Sudanese government.

The conflict is estimated to have killed more than 100,000 people and displaced some two million.

The African Union has a presence of at least 7,000 troops that lack resources and funding. Its peacekeeping mandate⁶ expires at the end of March.

1 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。

2 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

5 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。

6 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。