More AU troops arrive in Darfur
2004-12-22 11:54
Khartoum - Ninety-nine more Gambian troops were flown into Darfur to join an African Union (AU) force to monitor a ceasefire in the troubled region of west Sudan, the state news agency Suna reported on Wednesday.
The Gambians arrived on Tuesday in El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, aboard two German air force planes, raising to 196 the number of Gambian soldiers in Darfur, the agency said.
Rwandan and Nigerian troops were the first to be dispatched to the war-torn region in August and the AU is boosting its contingent there to 3 200, although the total number on the ground has yet to reach 1 000.
Their presence has had little impact so far, amid continued violence between government troops and rebel fighters.
Darfur has been embroiled in conflict since February 2003, when two rebel movements launched a revolt against Khartoum, charging the Arab-led government had marginalised and persecuted the region's black African tribes.
In the subsequent crackdown, pro-government militias have attacked local communities, murdering and raping scores of civilians and driving more than 1.6 million from their homes, according to the United Nations.
The combined effect of the war and a devastating humanitarian crisis has left tens of thousands of people dead in 2004 alone.