The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, United Nations

A senior UN official warned here Wednesday that the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force may fail in its mission to protect civilians in strife-storn Darfur without the required air mobility and firepower.

"For the early phase of 2008, we need to have a force that is able to meet the test because we believe that that mission will be tested in early 2008," Jean-Marie Guehenno, head of the UN department of peacekeeping operations, told reporters. He added that if the predominantly African 26,000-strong force "is not able to meet that test in a credible manner, then it will be very bad for our efforts in Darfur."

"The clock is ticking"twe are missing some critical capacities," he said, referring to 24 transport or attack helicopters.

Diplomats have said several Western countries able to provide the helicopters are reluctant to do so because of a lack of confidence in the the command and control structure for the joint force.