US to provide transportation for enlarged mission in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20, 2004 (Xinhua) — The United States offered two military transport aircraft to support a portion of the deployment of the expanded African Union (AU) mission in Sudan, the US mission to the UN said Wednesday in a statement.

“The President has directed the Secretary of Defense to make available two military transport aircraft for two weeks starting near the end of October,” it said.

“Secretary of State Powell is in close contact with our international partners to encourage their support for this African Union initiative,” it added.

As an enlarged AU mission, the first 1,000 additional troops are expected to come from Rwanda and Nigeria, according to the US mission.

It added that the immediate task of the expanded AU mission “is to intensify monitoring of the cease-fire and help create conditions to increase the free flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Darfur.”

The US called upon the Sudanese Government and the Darfur rebels to adhere to the cease fire, “to allow for the free movement of humanitarian workers and relief supplies and to work in good faith toward a negotiated settlement,” said the statement.