NATO chief says he is ready to help African Union force in Darfur

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 26, 2005 (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Thursday the alliance was ready to help the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur with capacities such as airlift, training and command and control.

United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, arrive at African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday, May 26, 2005. (AP).

The AU has 2,270 troops in western Sudan attempting to stop fighting between rebels and Arab militias, but has plans to increase that number to more than 12,300.

De Hoop Scheffer, who is attending an international donors conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said he was “shocked and appalled” by the violence in Darfur.

“What NATO can offer and what has been asked of NATO is, in the first phase, airlift. The African Union wants to bring thousands more troops into Darfur,” he told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. “NATO might well come in and help with the airlift. We might be able to assist the African Union as far as command and control is concerned. We might train them.”