22 August 2007
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The United Nations is investigating claims that a general set to head its force in Sudan's Darfur region, participated in the Rwandan genocide.
UN spokesman Yves Sorokobi said human rights groups should submit evidence inking Rwandan General Karenzi Karake to any alleged crimes.
The African Union approved General Karake to become the deputy commander of the AU-UN hybrid force in Darfur.
I hope this is, as the Rwandan government claim, an unjustified slur because if not it really makes the AU force a total joke. And talking of jokes headlines like "General Karake Appointment Remains Hanging" would seem just a tad tasteless. That second article has some wonderful understatements:[A] UK foreign office spokeswoman said that the appointment of force commanders was a job for the UN department of peacekeeping operations. But, apparently, British officials are concerned that if there was any substance to the allegations it could discredit the Darfur mission.
andConsidering that the UN may foot all the bills of the force, there is no doubt that its reservations will be looked into. In a case where an agreement on the issue is impossible, observers say Gen. Karake, as a senior officer of the force, may find it challenging to reach out to a divided UN system.
