Beshir: Sudan wants no UN troops in Darfur

November 23 2006 at 11:46AM

Khartoum - Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir told Britain and the United Nations that he still rejects the deployment of UN troops in war-torn Darfur, the state-run Suna news agency reported Thursday.

The agency said Beshir spoke by phone with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair late on Wednesday.

Beshir "stressed Sudan's rejection of any UN forces or UN command for the African Union (AU) forces in Darfur," SUNA said.

The discussions looked at how the UN could assist AU forces on the ground, it added.

The UN Security Council in August adopted a resolution calling for the deployment of 20 000 UN peacekeepers to replace an ill-equipped and under-funded AU contingent in Sudan's troubled western region.

Beshir consistently opposed such a plan, but Annan said last week that Sudan had accepted a "hybrid force" comprising forces from both the UN and the AU.

Khartoum denied it had accepted a deal for a joint AU-UN command and said it would only tolerate assistance to AU forces from UN technical units.

Blair warned on Wednesday that this compromise solution could be Khartoum's last chance to avoid sanctions.

"If the government (of Sudan) does not seize this opportunity then we will have to look at tougher measures," he said.

Annan said on Wednesday he was awaiting a letter from Beshir clariying Sudan's position on the proposal for a joint AU-UN peacekeeping operation.

The war in Darfur erupted in February 2003 when rebels from minority tribes took up arms to demand an equal share of national resources, prompting a heavy-handed crackdown from government forces and a proxy militia called the Janjaweed.

At least 200 000 people have since died from the combined effects of fighting, famine and disease, according to the UN. Some sources say the toll is much higher.

- Sapa-AFP