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Annan: UN "Overstretched"

By Paul Townsend

Former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, said yesterday that the UN is "overstretched" and should not take on any more responsibilities as long as the major powers continue to withhold the needed support.

"I don't think the UN is in a position today to go in and take over in Afghanistan; I don't think the UN will get the resources to play a major and active role in Somalia. We are already struggling to get the resources in Darfur, where some have declared it a genocide."

The UN is currently trying to get a force of 26,000 troops into Darfur, but weak support has delayed their deployment. For example, the UN has requested 24 helicopters to patrol the region, but no nation has responded to repeated requests for this equipment.

Full post as published by International Law Blog on March 21, 2008 (boomark / email).