Sudan has agreed to allow a combined United Nations and African Union (AU) peacekeeping into its troubled Darfur region, a senior AU official said today.
Reading a statement after two days of meetings in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit said Khartoum agreed to a force of between 17,000 and 19,000 troops after "clarifications" from AU and UN officials.
Mr Djinnit said: "Agreement was also reached in particular on specific recommendations about the mandate and structure of the operation and details on its various components and tasks."
He did not elaborate, but said the agreement also called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and inclusive political process in Darfur. And he appealed to the UN Security Council to authorise the deployment of the hybrid force without delay.
He said Sudan had raised the issue of an "exit strategy" for the peacekeepers, and all parties agreed the operation would be periodically reviewed. He did not say how often.
The majority of the troops would be African, Mr Djinnit added.
Non-Arab rebels took up arms in Darfur in early 2003, accusing the government of supporting Arab herders who were seizing their lands supported by the Khartoum-armed Janjaweed militia.
Experts estimate 200,000 people have died and 2 million more have been expelled from their homes in four years of conflict. In the past year, the settled Black African farmers have formed rebel groups and have fought back.