Sudan renews refusal to non-African forces in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Apr 28, 2005, 2005 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government on Wednesday renewed its refusal to the deployment of any non-African troops in its western Darfur region.

Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail reiterated the government’s stance in a press statement after meeting with UN representative in Sudan Jan Pronk.

The Sudanese minister said Pronk agreed with the Sudanese government that there is no need for any international forces to disturb the efforts exerted by the African Union (AU) in Darfur.

The AU now has some 2,200 troops in Darfur protecting AU observers monitoring a shaky ceasefire between Khartoum, its proxy militia and two rebel groups who have been fighting the government for two years.

But an assessment done in March by AU staff said the AU force now in Darfur is “extremely stretched” and can not fulfill its mandate.

The AU has asked to start talks with NATO for logistical support in its mission in Darfur.

Senior AU diplomats are to meet in Addis Ababa on Thursday to mull a significant expansion of the pan-African body’s operation in Sudan’s Darfur, perhaps by more than 100 percent.

The AU already plans to boost the current size of its Darfur mission to 3,320 by the end of May but many have said the expansion should be larger.

Ismail expressed his government’s readiness to cooperate with the AU on the expansion of its mission or facilitating its movement to enable it to fulfill its role in Darfur.

Darfur rebels took up arms in February 2003 against the government, accusing it of neglecting the barren area.

The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced at least 1 million.