African Union discusses Darfur

The African Union is holding a summit meeting in Ghana. Led by Nigerian President Obasanjo, who is also the rotating president of the African Union, the AU is discussing the "deteriorating" situation in Darfur.

The heads of state of 13 African nations and United Nations Secretary- General Kofi Annan veered away from the intended topic of Ivory Coast at their summit in Accra, Ghana, Friday to discuss the deteriorating situation in Sudan..

.."On Darfur, I sent a fact-finding mission to Darfur, which came back only three days ago," he said. "I got that mission to report to us here today, and what they found is that some form of deterioration from where things were when we met at Addis Ababa at the beginning of the month."

The delegation sent by President Obasanjo was headed by former Nigerian President Abdulsalam Abubakar.

..President Obasanjo says the African Union has already agreed to send troops to the region, but that even more are needed. "So, we are calling on the government of Sudan to play its role, its role of protecting all the people in Sudan."

President Obasanjo says he is appealing to the international community to assist in providing humanitarian aid to Darfur.

Update: The AFP has more:

"We also agreed that if the number of the protection force that we agreed in Addis Ababa at the beginning of the month was not enough, we will ask for additions," said the Nigerian president, whose country will be sending troops.

"With what we have on the ground now it appears we must have additional forces of protection," he added.

Obasanjo called on development partners and the international community to assist in the area of logistics and supply of humanitarian aid to the devastated region.

Asked about the Khartoum government's likely response to the deployment of further foreign forces to Darfur, Obasanjo replied: "Sudan is not rejecting the deployment of African troops."
Officials in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and headquarters city of the AU, said Netherlands will provide planes to transport the protection force to Darfur region, which was planned for end of July, but delayed due to logistical problems

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Comments

[nkem okoli]

THe African union should strategically address the issue of genocide in darfur region in sudan .How can such ethnic cleansing be allowed to continue.Thegovernment in sudan should be made to face war crime charges.hHow CAN religion and ethnic background be elaveted to such a destructive extent even to structral annihilation.Au should resist sentiment before this can degenerate into acomplete extermination of a Race.

[James Igwe Ina]

The Sudanese Government powers the Arab killers,with the goodwill of China,to perform a kinda ethnic cleansing against the Black Minorities in Dafur region in Sudan.The UN should ignore Beijing Interests and put a Sanction on Sudanese Government. We dont care about the $3b China has invested in Sudan's Oil field.The Genocide against those tribes must stop!