Sudan okays revised hybrid force for embattled Darfur

Addis Ababa - Sudan accepted Tuesday a hybrid United Nations-African Union (AU) force to be deployed in its war-torn Darfur region after months of wrangling over the mission, an official said.

UN, AU and Sudanese officials were meeting at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to hash out the final revised details of the plan, which was set to see up to 23,000 troops on the ground, but according to the new agreement, would probably be between 17,000 and 19,000 soldiers.

'The government of Sudan has accepted the proposal of a hybrid operation,' said Said Djinnit, the AU's peace and security council commissioner.

'The meeting concluded that the proposed operation would contribute considerably to the stabilization of the situation in Darfur in its political, humanitarian and security dimensions,' he added.

The other terms of the new deal were not immediately clear. Sudan has been pushing for an African-led mission, calling UN involvement akin to 'neo-colonialism'.

A thinly-spread, 7,000-member AU force currently patrols the region the size of France, but is charged with being ill-equipped to protect Darfuris and has faced constant attacks on its soldiers.

Sudan has faced months of international pressure on its handling of the Darfur conflict - which Washington calls genocide - and has continued to harp over various finer points of the proposed hybrid force.

Djinnit called on countries to speedily contribute troops and funds to the force and stressed the need for a political solution to the conflict.

'The participants further agreed on the need for an immediate comprehensive cease-fire accompanied by an inclusive political process,' Djinnit said, reading a joint statement to journalists.

Some 300,000 people have died since fighting between Arab militias and African tribes broke out in Darfur four years ago and 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes.

Sudan is charged with arming the militias known as Janjaweed to crush a rebellion by members of predominantly African tribes who complained that remote Darfur remained undeveloped due to neglect by Sudan's powerful Islamist regime.

Source : news.monstersandcritics.com