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.