Sudan fighting 'cause for concern'

2005-07-02 20:41

Libya - The recent fighting in eastern Sudan between rebel forces and government troops is a cause for concern, an African Union (AU) official said on Saturday on the sidelines of an AU foreign ministers meeting.

"Its a matter of concern, obviously," Said Djinnit, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, told reporters in Sirte, adding that the AU was not expecting "incidents to spread across Sudan".

In June an eastern Sudan rebel movement, the Eastern Front, attacked government positions around Tokar (a town close to Sudans east Coast, midway between Port Sudan and the Eritrean border) and claimed to have made significant advances against government troops.

Khartoum confirmed that there was military activity in the region, but denied rebel claims that it had carried out an aerial bombing campaign against civilian targets.

Djinnit reaffirmed that the AU expanded force for the troubled Darfur region of Western Sudan was on track, adding that the entire expanded force should be deployed before the end of September.

The AU is poised to increase its troop numbers in Darfur to over 6 000 from about 2 700 currently.

Additional troops from Rwanda, which already has men on the ground in Darfur and is one of the main troop contributors to the expanded deployment, will start leaving for Darfur on July 15, Rwandan Foreign Minister Charles Murigande confirmed.

Djinnit played down security incidents involving AU troops already on the ground so far in Darfur, including one incident where AU troops were forcibly disarmed, although he did say the African Union "took strong exception" to such incidents.

"You cannot expect to make a peacekeeping operation without incidents, " he said.

"Some groups do not have a clear understanding of the role of peacekeepers," he added.

"That is why we're strengthening the capacity of Amis (the AU Mission to Sudan). They are deploying with enhanced capacity, with armoured personnel carriers. We are strengthening their capacity to defend themselves".

Foreign Ministers from AU member countries spent part of Saturday discussing peace and security issues on the continent. As well as the situation in Darfur,

Togo, Ivory Coast and Somalia were also considered, diplomats said.

- AFP