Egypt to send 1,200 troops to UN force in Darfur
CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt is sending 1,200 troops to the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur that just took over the wartorn region, the countrys presidential spokesman said Tuesday. President Hosni Mubarak is to inspect the troops on Wednesday, spokesman Suleiman Awwad told reporters, after which the troops will likely soon depart for Darfur.
On Monday, a new hybrid U.N.-AU peacekeeping force took over in Darfur _ a long-awaited change intended to be the strongest effort yet to solve the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.
Awwad, the Egyptian spokesman, said the countrys contribution was part of extensive efforts and contacts with the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels by Egypt, Libya, Chad, Eritrea and other non-African countries to ¢put an end to the bloodshed in Darfur.
Posted by: Steve White 2008-01-02 |