Peacekeeping advisors due in Darfur within days

The first group of more than 175 UN advisers and staff supporting peacekeepers in Darfur will deploy within the next few days, according to a joint statement issued today by UN and African Union offices in Sudan.

The United Nations and African Union offices in Sudan today provided the Sudanese government Wednesday with a list of the names of the 43 UN military staff officers and 24 police advisers making up the first UN group to be deployed to Darfur, the statement said.

That action opens the way for sending the personnel to the troubled area of western Sudan.

The Sudanese government confirmed that it was permitting the first UN experts to head to Darfur.

But the numbers it gave were lower than those mentioned by the UN statement.

Sadeq Al-Magli, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that 18 military experts and 20 policemen would soon head to Al Fasher, capital of North Darfur. The discrepancy could not be accounted for immediately.

Most of the experts come from African and Asian countries, Al-Magli said.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said in a recent letter to outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that Sudan was ready to immediately implement agreements endorsing a three-step UN plan to strengthen the beleaguered 7,000-strong African union force in the vast western region of Sudan. The letter was circulated at the UN yesterday.

According to the statement released today UN staff officers and police advisers will wear their national uniforms with blue UN berets and an African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) arm band.

The statement noted that in addition to the personnel, the UN is to provide a further £12 million of equipment to African Union peacekeepers. Computers and water tankers are included in the equipment.

Fighting began in Darfur in February 2003 when rebels from African tribes took up arms against Sudan’s Arab-dominated government.

The violence has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced 2.5 million. The government is accused of unleashing Arab tribal militias known as the janjaweed who are blamed for most of the atrocities. The government denies backing the militias.

Representatives of the UN and AU missions in Sudan are to hold their next meeting with Sudanese officials on January 10.