Saudi: Sudan agrees to UN-African Darfur force

Riyadh, Mar 30: Saudi Arabia today said Sudan had agreed to a joint UN-African Union force in Darfur after a meeting with United Nations, African and Saudi officials on the sidelines of an Arab summit.

''Sudan has now agreed for the UN to provide logistical support to help African forces,'' Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said at a news conference.

''This means there will be some non-African forces there and this is a breakthrough that never happened before and we hope it leads immediately to a solution to the humanitarian tragedy in Darfur as soon as possible.'' The announcement follows a meeting on Wednesday of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Saudi King Abdullah and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, who heads East African body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Bashir told Arab leaders at the summit's opening yesterday the United Nations could have a role in providing logistical support for African troops.

Bashir has long resisted the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Sudan's western Darfur region, where the United States says a genocide of the local population has taken place through government support for nomadic militia groups.

A UN plan foresaw a small force of UN military and civilian forces moving into Darfur, followed in the second phase by about 2,500 more UN troops, and finally by another 10,000 soldiers to form a hybrid force.

Experts estimate that 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have fled their homes since conflict flared in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglect. Khartoum says 9,000 people have died and denies the genocide allegations.

Sudan, which has been accused of hindering aid to Darfur, signed an agreement with the United Nations this week to boost humanitarian work in the region.

Reuters