VOA常速英语2007-UN Security Council Condemns Darfur Attack on AU

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
02 October 2007

The U.N. Security Council has condemned¹ an attack on African Union peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region that killed 10 of them, but could not agree on language for a formal statement. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Ghanaian Ambassador Leslie Christian², who chairs the Security Council this month, told reporters Monday evening following the lengthy³ closed-door meeting that the council was unable to reach an agreement and would continue its consultations⁴ on Tuesday.

"The recent attack on AU peacekeepers in Haskanita, South Darfur was condemned and there was a demand that no effort should be spared so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," said Leslie Christian.

Ambassador Christian declined to say why the council was unable to reach an agreement, but South Africa's envoy⁵, Dumisani Kumalo, told reporters that some members felt strongly rebels were responsible, while others preferred to conduct an investigation⁶ before accusing any group.

"The reason we could not come to an agreement was because most of us feel this was a terrorist act," said Dumisani Kumalo. "Every report that we have received points out it was done by rebels. We would have preferred a very specific statement. The others argued that of course they wanted an investigation to find out what happened."

U.N. officials say the small encampment in Haskanita came under heavy attack Friday evening and then again before sunrise on Saturday. The camp was destroyed and at least 10 peacekeepers were killed and several more were injured. A number more went missing, but Sudanese troops have since found several of them.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which the Sudanese government blames on the two main rebel groups - the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmood Mohamad:

"Factions⁷ of SLM and JEM," he said. "It is very clear, the African Union said it, not only the Sudan government… The evidence is there: they were active in (the) area, they did it, the African Union said it, so they are very visible, it is not necessary to reinvent [the] wheel to know it is them."

The attack comes just weeks ahead of peace negotiations⁸ scheduled for October 27 in Libya. Ambassador Mohamad said the attack targets the peace process, and should harden everyone's resolve to make the Tripoli meeting a success.

The violence could also complicate⁹ plans to deploy¹⁰ a 26,000 - member African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force to Darfur later this year. The president of Senegal says he is considering withdrawing his country's troops from the force, after one of his nation's soldiers was killed in the Haskanita attack.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

4 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

10 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。