Sudan gives cautious welcome to Darfur deal

Sudan has given a cautious welcome to a newly-brokered plan that could see an expanded African Union force operating in the war-ravaged Darfur region.

However, the Khartoum government has insisted the United Nations would only be allowed provide logistical support to the AU and UN peacekeeping troops would not be given permission to serve in a joint military force in Sudan.

The deal, struck early this morning in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa by UN, AU, Arab League, Sudanese and other African officials, could see up to 17,000 UN and AU peacekeepers deployed to Darfur. At present, some 7,000 underfunded AU troops are struggling to keep the peace in the region.

But Sudanese foreign minister Lam Akol insisted today the accord did not mean UN peacekeepers will join AU troops in a joint force.

"There should be no talk about a mixed force. What we are discussing and what is agreed upon is an African Union force assisted by the United Nations," Mr Akol told the official Radio Omdurman in the first official reaction from Khartoum to the agreement.

"We have not actually overcome the question of converting the African Union force into a United Nations one," he said. "The force will be under the command and control of the African Union, which may accept assistance, technical assistance, from the United Nations."

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has so far rejected international pressure for a huge UN peacekeeping force to help the underfunded AU soldiers, insisting the AU remain in charge.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Khartoum had accepted the deal in principle but has yet to agree on the number of troops to be deployed. He said the new force would be made up of troops from across Africa, backed up by a command structure provided by the UN.

The Darfur conflict, which has left an estimated 400,000 people dead in Darfur since 2003, is threatening to spill into neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic.

Aid groups estimate 2.5 million people are at risk from famine and violence in the region. There are around 220,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad who have fled from government-sponsored Janjaweed militias.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, who visited the region last July, this morning called for the agreement to be fully implemented.

"It is only one stage in a process which must continue," Mr Ahern said. "While the existing African Union force has made a good contribution within the limits of its mandate and resources, it has been clear for a long time that a much stronger peace-keeping force is required to protect Darfur's vulnerable population and allow for the full provision of humanitarian support."

The head of Irish aid agency Goal expressed doubts about the agreement, claiming the Sudanese administration had "duped" the United Nations.

Goal chief executive John O'Shea, who has been a vocal critic of a number of what he calls corrupt African governments, said Khartoum was not serious about allowing UN personnel to be deployed alongside the AU force.

"They will allow only a token number which will have no meaningful impact on the unfolding tragedy," said Mr O'Shea. "The Sudanese government want as few witnesses as possible to what they are doing and what they intend to do to the vulnerable people of Darfur."

Additional reporting: Reuters