US forces supporting African cease-fire monitors in Sudan’s Darfur

DAKAR, Senegal, Sep 15, 2004 (AP) — Unspecified numbers of “American military personnel” are supporting African Union military observers in Sudan’s Darfur, U.S. diplomats said in a statement Wednesday highlighting Washington’s role in Sudan peace efforts.

U.S. diplomats have given no details on the role, number or makeup of any American presence.

The U.S. State Department statement, distributed by the U.S. Embassy in Senegal, addressed the U.S. military involvement. No immediate reaction was available from Sudan.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the U.S. presence on Friday, in a speech hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“And so we believe the best solution is to continue to press the Sudanese to bring the Janjaweed and the other militias under control and to meet their responsibilities. And we’ll help them,” Powell said.

“We’ll help them with the AU peacekeepers. There are some American military personnel in there working with the monitors,” Powell said.

Powell mentioned the U.S. military personnel only in passing, without elaboration.

The State Department highlighted Powell’s comment in Wednesday’s statement. The statement also cited Powell’s subsequent statement that genocide “had been committed” by Sudan’s government and allied militias in Darfur.

The U.S. government has been a leader in pressing Sudan’s government to stop 19 months of violence in Darfur, where pro-government Arab Janjaweed militia are accused of leading a bloody campaign to drive out non-Arab farmers following a rebel uprising there.

About 80 AU military observers, supported by 300 troops of the 52-nation African Union bloc, currently are deployed to monitor a largely failed April cease-fire.

The United States and Europe have pushed African governments to take a lead role in any military action to stop the bloodletting in Darfur.