SUDAN/NIGERIA: Up to 1,500 Nigerian troops may be sent to Sudan's troubled Darfur region, following a request from Nigerian President Mr Olusegun Obasanjo to his country's national assembly.
The president yesterday wrote to the assembly seeking approval to send up to 1,500 troops to Darfur as part of an African Union (AU) protection force, an assembly spokesman said.
Mr Obasanjo, who held talks with Sudan's Foreign Minister Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail earlier in the day, said in his letter that the request was initially to deploy one company, or 120 troops, but that it could be expanded to one or two battalions of 776 troops each.
"I request . . . approval to meet the request of the African Union to deploy one company of Nigerian troops as part of the AU protection force in Darfur," the letter said.
"This approval should also make allowance for Nigeria's contribution to be expanded as required to one battalion, but not more than two battalions at utmost."
Sudan is trying to stave off threatened United Nations sanctions by increasing security in Darfur, a vast desert region housing refugees who say they fled from attacks by Arab militia backed by Sudanese government troops.
"We wish to assure you that we do not oppose the AU's intervention, but we want a chance to put our views across," the Sudanese foreign minister was quoted as saying in a release issued by the Nigerian State House after his meeting with Mr Obasanjo.
Rwanda has already deployed 155 troops to protect AU monitors in the vast, arid province which houses more than a million refugees fleeing the Janjaweed militia.
Nigeria is preparing to send 153 troops next week, but the letter signals that the presence could be increased dramatically.
- (Reuters)