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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Darfur force 'to be all-African' | Darfur force 'to be all-African' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Africa will provide all of the 26,000 peacekeepers to be sent to Sudan's Darfur region, the head of the African Union (AU) has said. | Africa will provide all of the 26,000 peacekeepers to be sent to Sudan's Darfur region, the head of the African Union (AU) has said. |
| AU chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said enough African troops had been promised for no outside help to be needed but he did not give details. | AU chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said enough African troops had been promised for no outside help to be needed but he did not give details. |
| The UN had expected to call on Asian troops. Critics say Africa lacks enough trained troops for an effective force. | The UN had expected to call on Asian troops. Critics say Africa lacks enough trained troops for an effective force. |
| Sudan's government has long opposed the involvement of non-African soldiers. | Sudan's government has long opposed the involvement of non-African soldiers. |
| It only agreed to a joint United Nations-AU force after months of negotiations. | It only agreed to a joint United Nations-AU force after months of negotiations. |
| The UN Security Council resolution setting up the force said the troops would be mostly African but they would be under UN command. | The UN Security Council resolution setting up the force said the troops would be mostly African but they would be under UN command. |
| Viable plan? | Viable plan? |
| UN spokesman Farhan Haq said that while there may be enough AU troops for the force, it was important to get the right mix of abilities on the ground. | |
| "It's not simply a question of raw numbers of troops - we¿re trying to find a good mix of skills," he told the BBC News website. | |
| "We're looking to make sure this force is robust, it's mobile, it's well-armed and equipped, so that it can carry out the full mandate that it needs to perform." | |
| Speaking after talks in Khartoum with the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Mr Konare said: "I can confirm today that we have received sufficient commitments from African countries that we will not have to resort to non-African forces." | Speaking after talks in Khartoum with the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Mr Konare said: "I can confirm today that we have received sufficient commitments from African countries that we will not have to resort to non-African forces." |
| He added that the "ball is now in the court of the UN" to provide funding for the force. | He added that the "ball is now in the court of the UN" to provide funding for the force. |
| PROMISED PEACEKEEPERS 7,000 - existing AU force1,000 - pledged by Senegal800 - pledged by Malawi Other pledges: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia and EgyptIndonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh26,000 - total planned Africa's Darfur bombshell Mr Bashir, who has long argued that a UN-backed force would be a violation of Sudan's sovereignty and could worsen the situation there, backed Mr Konare's plan. | PROMISED PEACEKEEPERS 7,000 - existing AU force1,000 - pledged by Senegal800 - pledged by Malawi Other pledges: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia and EgyptIndonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh26,000 - total planned Africa's Darfur bombshell Mr Bashir, who has long argued that a UN-backed force would be a violation of Sudan's sovereignty and could worsen the situation there, backed Mr Konare's plan. |
| "[We] support the AU force, which consolidates the efforts of the Sudanese government to ensure security, peace and stability in Darfur," he said after their meeting. | "[We] support the AU force, which consolidates the efforts of the Sudanese government to ensure security, peace and stability in Darfur," he said after their meeting. |
| Mr Konare did not give a breakdown of the countries offering to supply more personnel, leading correspondents to question the viability of an all-African force. | Mr Konare did not give a breakdown of the countries offering to supply more personnel, leading correspondents to question the viability of an all-African force. |
| BBC Africa analyst David Bamford said it was unclear where so many African troops would come from. | BBC Africa analyst David Bamford said it was unclear where so many African troops would come from. |
| Senegal and Malawi have promised to send peacekeepers to Darfur, while the AU has said that Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria have also promised to contribute. | Senegal and Malawi have promised to send peacekeepers to Darfur, while the AU has said that Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria have also promised to contribute. |
| Hafiz Mohamed from lobby group Justice Africa said Sudan would be able to manipulate AU troops - as he said they had been doing with the 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur. | Hafiz Mohamed from lobby group Justice Africa said Sudan would be able to manipulate AU troops - as he said they had been doing with the 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur. |
| "This will affect the whole credibility of the new resolution," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "This will affect the whole credibility of the new resolution," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| Deadline looming | Deadline looming |
| Mr Konare's announcement came just days after the UN published a list of Asian countries it said had already committed troops and police officers to a Darfur force. | Mr Konare's announcement came just days after the UN published a list of Asian countries it said had already committed troops and police officers to a Darfur force. |
| Some two million people have fled their homes to displacement campsUN officials said the joint AU-UN force would be "predominantly African", but confirmed that countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh had pledged personnel. | Some two million people have fled their homes to displacement campsUN officials said the joint AU-UN force would be "predominantly African", but confirmed that countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh had pledged personnel. |
| According to a UN resolution, the composition of the force must be decided by 30 August. | According to a UN resolution, the composition of the force must be decided by 30 August. |
| At least 200,000 people are believed to have died and more than two million have been left homeless in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003. | At least 200,000 people are believed to have died and more than two million have been left homeless in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003. |
| Sudan's Arab dominated government, and the pro-government Janjaweed militias, are accused of war crimes against the region's black African population - although the UN has stopped short of calling it genocide. | Sudan's Arab dominated government, and the pro-government Janjaweed militias, are accused of war crimes against the region's black African population - although the UN has stopped short of calling it genocide. |
| Sudan has always denied backing the Janjaweed militias and argued that the problems in Darfur were being exaggerated for political reasons. | Sudan has always denied backing the Janjaweed militias and argued that the problems in Darfur were being exaggerated for political reasons. |