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Richardson asked to intervene in Sudan

Staff and wire reports
Monday, December 18, 2006

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Gov. Bill Richardson is considering a request by the Save Darfur Coalition to travel to the war-torn area to help convince Sudan's government to accept a peacekeeping force.

"He's touched by the request," Pahl Shipley, a Richardson spokesman, said today. "He'd like to help, and it is a very serious problem."

Richardson is talking to officials from the United Nations, the State Department and the Sudanese government about the trip. He has made no decision on whether he'll go, Shipley said.

Richardson in September traveled to Sudan to negotiate the release of American journalist Paul Salopek, who lives in New Mexico when he's not traveling.

Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is known for his diplomatic skills.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution that provides for beefing up the poorly funded and equipped 7,000-troop African Union force to about 22,000 peacekeepers under U.N. leadership.

"That's where we're hoping the governor can help," said Colleen Connors, a spokeswoman for the Save Darfur Coalition, an umbrella group of more than 160 humanitarian and religious organizations lobbying for greater action to halt the violence in Darfur.

For nearly four years, Sudanese troops and the Arab janjaweed have been fighting Darfur's ethnic African rebels, who revolted against what they saw as decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese government.

U.N. and African Union officials have accused the government of arming the janjaweed and coordinating attacks with them, a charge the government denies. More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes.

"While sustainable resolutions of tensions in Darfur will require a political process and settlement meeting the concerns of all parties to the conflict, it is the ordinary people of Darfur who have suffered the brunt of this conflict, and who need protection most urgently," David Rubenstein, executive director of the Save Darfur Coalition, said in a letter to Richardson.

Richardson has remained active in international affairs since becoming governor in 2003.

Rubenstein pointed to Richardson's success in freeing Salopek, who was accused of spying, as a reason for asking the governor to go.

"We recall your previous successful mission to Khartoum and believe that you might be able once again to carry out such a fruitful dialogue. This time on finding a way to move forward to end this most pressing humanitarian tragedy," Rubenstein said.

In December 1996, shortly before Richardson left Congress and was appointed ambassador to the U.N., he secured the release of three Red Cross workers, including Albuquerque pilot John Early, from Marxist rebels in Sudan.

Richardson, who also served as energy secretary in the Clinton administration, most recently met with North Korean officials in Santa Fe to discuss six-nation talks about the country's nuclear future, which began Monday in Beijing.

Richardson is widely believed to be seeking the U.S. presidency. He has said he will make an announcement on whether to run next month.