UN chief suggests Chad, CAR force

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The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has called for up to 11,000 peacekeepers to be sent to Chad and the Central African Republic.

Mr Ban said the troops were needed to protect people affected by the Darfur conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

In a report to the UN Security Council, Mr Ban proposed two options.

The first option calls for 6,000 troops to be backed by helicopters, while the second envisages a more ground-based mission with 10,900 troops.

Mr Ban said he recommended the second option because it could respond to unforeseen events.

Now the UN Security Council must consider this report and decide what to do.

One factor that diplomats may dwell on is the fact that the UN wants to send 20,000 peacekeepers to Darfur but has not yet been able to because of resistance from the Sudanese government.

This report points out that a UN mission in Chad and the Central African Republic could help to resolve the crisis in Darfur.