Blair dismisses troops for Sudan report

LONDON, Dec 26 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office has dismissed a newspaper report that he ordered military chiefs to prepare to send troops to Sudan’s troubled Darfur region in the New Year.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has ordered the military to prepare to deploy up to 3,000 soldiers to the conflict-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, the Independent on Sunday reports. (AFP).

The Independent on Sunday said Blair had asked for plans to be prepared to deploy 3,000 British troops in Sudan.

But a spokeswoman for Blair’s office said on Sunday she was unaware of any such request.

“We’re trying to help find a solution — clearly there are difficulties in the Sudan — but working through the U.N. and the African Union,” she said.

Tens of thousands have died in fighting in Darfur and the United Nations says the region is suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 1.6 million forced to flee their homes. Washington says genocide has been committed.

After years of tribal clashes over scarce resources in arid Darfur, rebels took up arms early last year, accusing the Khartoum government of neglect and mobilising so-called Janjaweed militias to loot and burn non-Arab villages.

Khartoum denies any links to the Janjaweed, whom it calls outlaws.