Bush OK’s transfer of Darfur camps to UN-AU force

December 14, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — President Bush approved transferring 34 U.S.-operated camps and related assets to the U.N.-African Union mission working in the war-wracked Darfur region of Sudan, the White House said Friday.

The United States Jan. 1 will turn over about $40 million worth of camp equipment, communications and other assets that it has been operating and maintaining since 2004, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

“The rapid and successful deployment of a robust U.N./A.U. operation in Darfur remains a top administration priority,” Johndroe said. “Use of existing peacekeeping support infrastructure in Darfur is critical to the mission’s ability to quickly deploy and assume responsibility for Darfur peacekeeping.”

Bush has pushed for more troops and equipment to support the 7,000 African Union soldiers in Darfur trying to help end the conflict, which the U.S. president has called genocide.

International experts estimate 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and another 2.5 million have been driven from their homes since violence erupted in 2003.

(Reuters)