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| Africa Horn |
| UN |
| 2006-11-16 |
| The United Nations is considering deploying a protection force on Sudan's western borders with Chad and Central African Republic as hundreds more refugees spill over from its Darfur region. Violence in Darfur, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in political and ethnic conflict since 2003, has spread to the two central African countries, which have both called for the deployment of international peacekeepers. "We are convinced that the deterioration in the situation in Chad and in Central African Republic could require the deployment of a peacekeeping mission," Jean-Marie Guehenno, the U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, told BBC radio. A U.N. delegation is due to travel to both countries next week to evaluate what form any such mission should take. "Will it be a very light mission with observers, will it be a mission with troops, that is what the evaluation mission will determine," Guehenno told the BBC's French service. Chad declared a state of emergency across vast swathes of the country on Monday to try to halt the insecurity across its border region with Sudan, where the government accuses Sudanese Arab militia of frequent raids into Chadian territory. Central African Republic accuses Sudan of arming rebels who say they have captured two northeastern towns and are demanding power-sharing talks with President Bozize, whom they accuse of ruling the country like a personal fiefdom. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 The UN needs an offical instrument. I nominate the zither (close enough). |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-11-16 20:24 |