Vanguard of AU expanded mission due in Sudan Thursday

KHARTOUM, Oct 26, 2004 (Xinhua) — Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail announced Tuesday that the vanguard of the expanded mission of the African Union (AU) in Darfur are due to arrive in Sudan on Thursday.

In a press statement, Ismail said his government has received a notification from the AU on this issue.

He added the vanguard will be formed by Nigerian troops, saying his government will be informed later about details on the number of the troops.

He noted that the Sudanese government had rejected a US request to permit two US planes to transport the African forces to Darfur, stressing that such kind of requests will be rejected unless they are presented through the AU.