EU lawmakers to ask for probe of Darfur funds

STRASBOURG, France, July 10 (Reuters) European Union lawmakers want an investigation into why there are long delays in paying African Union soldiers in Darfur despite millions of euros sent by the 27-nation bloc for that purpose.

Five EU lawmakers were told during a trip to the region earlier this month that ''apparently the money is stuck in Addis Ababa,'' the Ethiopian capital, where the African Union has its headquarters, a European Parliament spokesman said.

On Thursday EU lawmakers are expected to call for ''an in-depth investigation into the fact that at least some (AU) soldiers have not received any pay for many months,'' according to a draft resolution.

The stretched and ill-equipped mission, which has received more than 400 million euros (546 million dollar) of EU cash, has failed to stem violence in Sudan's vast west.

AU troops are increasingly under attack and they complain that they are not being paid for their efforts.

The EU's executive Commission believes the delays are due to lack of experience and administrative capacity and there has been no indication of fraud, a spokesman said.

''There are delays ... but as far as we are aware one cannot talk about embezzlement,'' a spokesman for EU aid Commissioner Louis Michel said.

''We have sent two experts to help the AU catch up with the delays and help it improve its administrative capacity,'' the spokesman said, adding that an audit of the use of EU funds last year revealed no fraud.

International experts estimate 200,000 have died in four years of rape, killing and disease in Darfur, violence Washington calls genocide. Khartoum rejects the term and puts the death toll at 9,000.

Khartoum opposed a UN takeover of the AU force, but under the threat of sanctions it accepted a compromise AU-UN mission.

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