The Sudanese government gave the green light today for the deployment of attack helicopters and more than 3,000 UN troops, police, and other personnel to beef up the 7,000-strong African Union force in war-torn Darfur.

The United Nations and African Union envoys for Sudan agreed to work “hand-in-hand” to try to bring all the warring parties to the peace table and convince them there is no military solution to the Darfur conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people.