Antony’s Sudan trip in doubt as Govt wakes up to spat over Darfur deployment

Antony, who has already met troops stationed in the Siachen glacier and plans to visit the Kashmir Valley next week, was very keen to visit Indian UN peacekeepers, saying he wanted to understand the ground situation the armed forces faced.

“They are doing a very good job. I am going to meet them,” Antony had told reporters on the sidelines of a Defence function last week.

But the visit seems to have become a victim of bad timing. “The situation in Sudan may force him to cancel. It will be disheartening for soldiers posted in Sudan if the minister visits only Congo. So the entire thing is likely to be called off,” said a Ministry source.

This would have been Antony’s second visit abroad after assuming office nine months ago. He had travelled to Singapore in May for the Shangri La Dialogue regional security conference.

Sudan is miffed about the proposed deployment of over 24,000 UN troops in the Darfur region. While the country has agreed after tough negotiations to allow into the region a 26,000 strong UN-African Union Darfur force, it has expressed reservations over a UN mandate to “use all necessary means” to protect citizens.

India is expected to heavily contribute troops to the proposed UN deployment in Darfur. Close to 3,000 Indian troops are currently posed in southern Sudan. They form part of a 10,000 strong force of soldiers and police that was sent to the country in 2005 by the UN department of peacekeeping.