Interview given by M. Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, to “RTL” (excerpts)
Paris, 1 August 2007
DARFUR
Q. – How did yesterday’s Security Council vote, which is going to allow deployment of the Blue Helmets in Darfur, become possible?
THE MINISTER – Through constant, dogged efforts going back months and months, efforts in particular by the British and French. Right up until yesterday afternoon we were still changing wording in the resolution. In short, forget the past, from October we should, theoretically, see the departure, a start being made on establishing an African force…
Q. – Is this sooner than expected?
THE MINISTER – It’s sooner than expected, since we were being told March 2008, December 2007 at the earliest, and we really fought a hard battle. I pay tribute to all the French Foreign Ministry departments, and of course there were our diplomats in New York who succeeded in changing the dates. This was important not because of their success on the dates, but because people are dying and we’re talking about an international emergency. I remind you that we’ve been asking for an operation of this type for two-and-a-half years. That’s a long time after all.
Q. – Will there be any French soldiers in this international force?
THE MINISTER – We’ve offered them, but as you know, there’s a very new, very important development: the Africans want to deal with African affairs, which is good; so there’ll be predominantly African troops very probably supplemented by other troops because it’s an African Union/UN operation. Since there aren’t enough African troops, UN troops will certainly be called on, the majority of whom would come from Asia. France has offered her services.
Q. – Is the resolution, as it stands, robust enough? It’s said there won’t be sanctions against any party – particularly the Sudanese – not fully complying with the UN demands?
THE MINISTER – Yes, things are never perfect, and we’ve dragged our feet a great deal. But I hope this will restore a degree of normal life to Darfur, and that the refugees – I remind you that there are over two and a half million – will return; and then there are displaced persons in Chad, and here too France has proposed an operation which, I hope, is going to go ahead. (…)
Q. – There have to be political settlements?
THE MINISTER – There have to be political settlements and the rebel groups have to return to the negotiating table and the Sudanese government has of course to agree…
Q. – And will France go on actively seeking one?
THE MINISTER – Yes, actively; we still have a rebel leader here at home who has been arguing against joining the negotiating table, and this was quite surprising in this country which has genuinely wanted Darfur to be a top priority; the first meeting I held at the Foreign Ministry was on Darfur, and, moreover, it wasn’t in vain since the thing’s now been done. But this rebel leader isn’t very willing to negotiate. What, then? Are we going to expel him? No, I’m joking, we’re not going to expel him; but all the same it’s odd that some rebels don’t want to talk. (…)./.