Haavisto: Afghan and Darfur operations do not rule each other out

Finland could provide technical assistance and police know-how

Pekka Haavisto

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Finland's participation in the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan does not rule out the possibility of taking part in the world's largest UN operation in the Darfur region of Sudan, says Green MP Pekka Haavisto, former European Union special envoy to Sudan.
      In Haavisto's view, the Darfur operation is politically significant, and requires good peacekeeping skills.
      "Naturally, Darfur is very demanding, but its success is very important. It is a flagship operation of the UN and the African Union, in which it would be good to be involved from the outset", Haavisto said in Helsinki on Thursday.
      "The operation requires the know-how that Finland has.
     
Participation in the Darfur operation has not raised much enthusiasm in Finland, because of the shortage of resources for peacekeeping activities. Participation in the challenging operation in Afghanistan has dominated foreign policy debate.
      According to Haavisto, much military interest is focused on NATO-led operations, such as the one in Afghanistan; UN operations "do not look as sexy" by comparison, he says.
      "In my view, we should not fall into this kind of thinking. Most important in taking part in an operation is its political and its moral significance."
     
Haavisto also calls for a geographical balance in Finland's peacekeeping activities.
      "The African peacekeeping operations are still in their baby shoes, but Darfur will not be the last. Finns and Europeans would have much to offer in developing them", Haavisto said.
      "Of all African operations, Darfur gets the most international attention, and in that respect as well, it would be important for us to take part."
      Haavisto said in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat last week that Finland's realistic input into the Darfur operation could be in the tens of people. There would be a need for tasks in civilian crisis management, such as management and police skills, as well as technical assistance.
      He emphasises that Finnish police know-how has already been utilised in the African Union's Amis operation in Darfur.
     
The UN Security Council decided last week to send 26,000 police and peacekeepers to Darfur according to the resolution, the "hybrid operation" of the UN and the African Union should have a strong African input.
      Haavisto said that of those taking part, about 10,000 will be Africans, and an even larger number would be Asians. The countries of Europe and America would be expected to bring in a few thousand people.
     
Pekka Haavisto recently returned from a meeting of rebel groups in Darfur, which was held in Tanzania. Haavisto attended in his capacity as a UN advisor.
      The meeting resulted a document, on whose basis the rebel groups are to initiate negotiations with the Sudanese government for a political solution to the crisis within two or three months.
      Haavisto saw the meeting as a success, but said that the situation in Darfur itself remains sensitive.
      "We need a political peace agreement, and a very well-prepared peacekeeping operation for Darfur to be pacified", he said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  UN asks Finnish MP to go to Darfur (30.5.2007)

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