UN’s Sudan troop deployment delayed by visa hitch

BERLIN, Aug 8, 2005 (AP) — Visa problems are contributing to delays in deploying thousands of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Sudan, the German Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Visas were one of several logistical difficulties facing nations providing troops for the U.N. mission in Sudan, ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said. The U.N. has been negotiating with Sudan’s government to settle the issues, he told reporters.

Ploetner said the climate and terrain in southern Sudan are further complicating plans for the deployment. Germany is set to send up to 75 military observers and staff officers to a U.N. force in Sudan.

The U.N. Security Council has said it is determined to assist the Sudanese people in their efforts to promote national reconciliation.