United Nations: The UN is in constant touch with several nations, including Thailand and Nepal, to get troops for the "severely stretched" United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, after Sudan agreed to deploy military units of both the nations.

Sudan, which had been insisting on posting of troops from African countries, has now agreed to the deployment of Thai and Nepali military units in the country, UN Security General Ban Ki-moon said, adding, he has been assured by both the governments that they would move ahead as soon as possible.

Around 10,000 peacekeepers are currently deployed in Darfur, an impoverished arid region with little infrastructure, while the Security Council has authorised a force of 26,000 for the region where some 300,000 people are estimated to have died and about three million rendered homeless, as a result of five years of conflict.

Addressing a press conference, Ban expressed hope that the strength would reach two-third of the authorised figure by the end of the year and full strength by March next year. Ban said that the first Egyptian and Ethiopian battalions will be deployed by the end of this month and he has spoken with the leaders of Thailand, Nepal and Ukraine about contributing troops and equipment.

But, the UN is finding it difficult to get the troops as well as the helicopters needed to ensure mobility of the peacekeepers to Darfur where Sudanese forces and their allied Janjaweed militias are fighting the rebels.

Source : PTI