Egypt, Ethiopia To Send More Troops To Darfur

Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - Egypt and Ethiopia announced they will commit additional soldiers to the troubled Darfur region in Western Sudan as part of the campaign to bolster the force there. General Martin Agwai, the commander of the United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said in New York that he expects a large number of troops to arrive in the coming months.

"We are expecting 1,200 troops from Egypt in May and another battalion from Ethiopia, in addition to its offer of helicopters and ground transport for the mission," Agwai told reporters in New York.

The general said he hopes that the continued bolstering of troops would help the mission meet its required 26,000 strong force that is in place to help facilitate an end to 5 years of violence in the western Sudanese region.

Agwai, at the UN, called on other nations to contribute troops to the mission.

He said only approximately 8,000 troops were on the ground in Darfur, but added that with efforts, the mission could reach its target goal by the end of the year.

"It is a process and we started the process about four months now and we have a lot of challenges to meet up and also to achieve global objectives," he continued.

The general warned that without the proper number of troops, violence could persist.

Since clashes erupted in 2003 between rebels in Darfur and the government-supported Janjaweed militia at least 200,000 people have been killed and millions more displaced from their homes as a direct result of the fighting.

"It is important that all sides show full restraint at this time and that peace be allowed for immediate mediation. Peace in Darfur has to prevail," Agwai added.