The United Nations and Sudan are discussing the deployment of U.N. military advisers to reinforce African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, in a possible compromise in their standoff over the war-torn region, officials from both sides said Tuesday.
Sudan has fiercely opposed allowing a beefed-up U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur, despite resolutions from the Security Council that call for one. Khartoum instead has urged a strengthening of the African force already there.
But Baha Elkoussy, a U.N. spokesman in Sudan, said the two sides were negotiating over sending U.N. advisers “to facilitate the deployment of the AU.”
“There are ongoing discussions to provide the AU force with support, pending a future decision from the U.N. Security Council,” he told The Associated Press.
He would not elaborate. But other U.N. officials in Sudan, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the proposal was to send more than 100 U.N. military advisers and dozens of police and civilians to reinforce the AU mission.
The Sudanese government's top official on Darfur, Majzoub al-Khalifa, suggested in an interview that Khartoum was willing to accept such a compromise.
“There is a third way …… why not let the U.N. place its men, command expertise and materiel at the service of the AU mission,” al-Khalifa said.
Elkoussi said U.N. personnel were ready to be sent to Darfur in the coming weeks “as soon as there is a solid agreement with the （Sudanese） government.”
Sudan has fiercely opposed allowing a beefed-up U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur, despite resolutions from the Security Council that call for one. Khartoum instead has urged a strengthening of the African force already there.
But Baha Elkoussy, a U.N. spokesman in Sudan, said the two sides were negotiating over sending U.N. advisers “to facilitate the deployment of the AU.”
“There are ongoing discussions to provide the AU force with support, pending a future decision from the U.N. Security Council,” he told The Associated Press.
He would not elaborate. But other U.N. officials in Sudan, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the proposal was to send more than 100 U.N. military advisers and dozens of police and civilians to reinforce the AU mission.
The Sudanese government's top official on Darfur, Majzoub al-Khalifa, suggested in an interview that Khartoum was willing to accept such a compromise.
“There is a third way …… why not let the U.N. place its men, command expertise and materiel at the service of the AU mission,” al-Khalifa said.
Elkoussi said U.N. personnel were ready to be sent to Darfur in the coming weeks “as soon as there is a solid agreement with the （Sudanese） government.”