Australia offers aircraft, personnel to Sudan

CANBERRA, Oct 13, 2004 (Xinhua) — Australia has offered a military transport contingent to help African peacekeeping troops to stop a 19-month conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Darfur, bordering Chad, has been beset by a conflict between horse-mounted Arab militia and black African farmers since February 2003. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead and more than 1 million displaced, according to the United Nations.

The proposal, if accepted by the African Union (AU), will see two Australian C-130 Hercules transport aircraft deployed to the continent to help move troops and supplies into Darfur to support an expanded African peacekeeping force, The Australian, one of Australia’s leading newspapers reported Wednesday.

The mission is also likely to require the deployment of up to several hundred Australian Defense Force personnel to support the aircraft.

“Australia has offered two C-130s to take AU troops into Darfur, ” the paper quoted a spokeswoman for Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as saying.

“The AU has not yet replied to the offer as they have not yet finalized their own planning,” said the spokeswoman.

The paper said Australia’s proposal follows criticism last month by the 53-nation AU that Australia had made no offer of assistance to the AU to help keep peace in Darfur.