UN to deploy 183 experts in Darfur next week
Dec 17, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Some 183 UN servicemen and experts are to be deployed in Sudan’s Darfur region next week as part of UN technical, logistic and consultative support for African forces there, a Sudanese official said here Sunday.
A trilateral meeting is expected to be held on Monday between representatives from the Sudanese government, the UN and the African Union (AU) on the starting of the UN logistic mission, said Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq.
The first stage of the mission provides for deploying 105 servicemen, 33 policemen and 45 civilian experts, in addition to logistic and technical communication equipment, he said, noting that they will be under the AU’s control.
The second stage of the mission will be put in place early next year.
The three-stage plan was proposed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an Addis Ababa meeting on Darfur mid-November.
Khartoum had earlier opposed the third stage of the plan, which provided for deploying 22,000 mixed UN-AU forces in Darfur.
Sudan, the United Nations and the AU agreed in principle on 16 November to create a hybrid mission, raising hopes that a stronger U.N.-backed force could be deployed to help stem the violence.
(KUNA/ST)