KHARTOUM: The new joint African Union-UN force has taken over peacekeeping in Darfur from an AU mission that failed to stem nearly five years of conflict in western Sudan. In a symbolic handover ceremony in Darfur's main city of al-Fasher on Monday, AU troops of the former African Mission in Sudan swapped their green berets for the blue of the UN. The mission will eventually consist of 20,000 troops and 6000 police and civilian personnel, but only about 9000 troops and police are in place. The head of the new UN Mission in Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, appealed to the Sudanese Government, which the US accuses of waging genocide in Darfur, and other troop-contributing countries to do more to stem the violence. At least 200,000 people have died and more than two million have fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated Government in February 2003, fighting for control of oil-rich Darfur. The Government's response was to back the Arab Janjaweed militia and give its fighters free rein to crack down on rebel guerillas and their civilian supporters.
Aust 2 Jan 2008
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