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| Sudan tells peacekeepers to leave | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Sudan has asked the African Union (AU) force attempting to keep the peace in Darfur to leave the country when its mandate ends at the end of September. | Sudan has asked the African Union (AU) force attempting to keep the peace in Darfur to leave the country when its mandate ends at the end of September. |
| The demand comes amid growing concern about a week-old offensive by Sudanese troops in the remote western region. | The demand comes amid growing concern about a week-old offensive by Sudanese troops in the remote western region. |
| A UN resolution passed last week seeking to replace the weak AU peacekeeping force with 17,000 UN troops was rejected by Khartoum. | A UN resolution passed last week seeking to replace the weak AU peacekeeping force with 17,000 UN troops was rejected by Khartoum. |
| The UN has warned of a new "man-made catastrophe" in war-torn Darfur. | The UN has warned of a new "man-made catastrophe" in war-torn Darfur. |
| Hundreds of thousands of people have died and millions been made homeless since 2003 in fighting between pro-government militia groups and rebels demanding greater autonomy. | |
| Correspondents see the unexpected announcement by Khartoum as a sign that it now plans to settle the three-year rebellion by military means. | Correspondents see the unexpected announcement by Khartoum as a sign that it now plans to settle the three-year rebellion by military means. |
| The US brokered a peace accord in May, but it was signed by the government and only one of the three main rebel groups in Darfur. | The US brokered a peace accord in May, but it was signed by the government and only one of the three main rebel groups in Darfur. |
| There have been repeated warnings since then that the violence and displacement are continuing. | There have been repeated warnings since then that the violence and displacement are continuing. |
| 'Please leave' | 'Please leave' |
| AU soldiers are trying to police the region but they have a weak mandate, are under-resourced and number only 7,000 in an area the size of France. | AU soldiers are trying to police the region but they have a weak mandate, are under-resourced and number only 7,000 in an area the size of France. |
| Their current mandate finishes at the end of September and the government in Khartoum has now asked them to leave. | Their current mandate finishes at the end of September and the government in Khartoum has now asked them to leave. |
| "It is not the decision of the Sudan. It is indicated before by the African Union itself. They said that by the end of September, they will not be able to continue with their assignment in Darfur," said Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry. | "It is not the decision of the Sudan. It is indicated before by the African Union itself. They said that by the end of September, they will not be able to continue with their assignment in Darfur," said Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry. |
| "So we are just requesting now, since they can't finish and proceed with their assignment in Darfur, so it is up to them now to leave. And we're asking them, please leave." | "So we are just requesting now, since they can't finish and proceed with their assignment in Darfur, so it is up to them now to leave. And we're asking them, please leave." |
| Alex de Waal, a Harvard-based analyst who has been advising the AU on Darfur, describes that statement as "disingenuous". He told the BBC the AU mission "specifically requested that the mission be handed over to the United Nations". | Alex de Waal, a Harvard-based analyst who has been advising the AU on Darfur, describes that statement as "disingenuous". He told the BBC the AU mission "specifically requested that the mission be handed over to the United Nations". |
| UN resolution rejected | UN resolution rejected |
| Last week, the UN passed a resolution authorising a larger UN force to replace the AU troops at the end of their mandate, but the resolution required Sudanese consent - and has been strongly rejected by Khartoum. | Last week, the UN passed a resolution authorising a larger UN force to replace the AU troops at the end of their mandate, but the resolution required Sudanese consent - and has been strongly rejected by Khartoum. |
| Planeloads of Sudanese soldiers are now arriving in DarfurPresident Omar al-Bashir described the call for a UN force as "part of a comprehensive conspiracy for confiscating the country's sovereignty" in comments reported by the Sudanese news agency Suna on Sunday. | Planeloads of Sudanese soldiers are now arriving in DarfurPresident Omar al-Bashir described the call for a UN force as "part of a comprehensive conspiracy for confiscating the country's sovereignty" in comments reported by the Sudanese news agency Suna on Sunday. |
| "Our decision is decisive rejection [of the UN resolution] then preparation for the confrontation [with the UN forces]," Suna quoted him as saying. | "Our decision is decisive rejection [of the UN resolution] then preparation for the confrontation [with the UN forces]," Suna quoted him as saying. |
| The government has instead offered to send its own force of 10,000 soldiers to the region, but the UN and rights groups operating in the region have expressed alarm at this idea. | The government has instead offered to send its own force of 10,000 soldiers to the region, but the UN and rights groups operating in the region have expressed alarm at this idea. |
| Fresh Sudanese soldiers have now begun arriving in the region, and rights groups, AU officials and Darfur's rebel groups report that on 28 August a new offensive began, with reports of attacks on rebel-held villages in Darfur. | Fresh Sudanese soldiers have now begun arriving in the region, and rights groups, AU officials and Darfur's rebel groups report that on 28 August a new offensive began, with reports of attacks on rebel-held villages in Darfur. |
| Khartoum has denied reports of bombing raids on villages, saying it is merely conducting "administrative operations". | Khartoum has denied reports of bombing raids on villages, saying it is merely conducting "administrative operations". |
| No turning back | No turning back |
| The BBC's Africa editor Martin Plaut says while there had been reports of troops pouring into Darfur, Khartoum's abrupt demand for the AU force to leave was unexpected. | The BBC's Africa editor Martin Plaut says while there had been reports of troops pouring into Darfur, Khartoum's abrupt demand for the AU force to leave was unexpected. |
| Last week, the UN's humanitarian chief Jan Egeland warned that "a man-made catastrophe of an unprecedented scale" loomed within weeks in Darfur unless the UN Security Council acted immediately. | Last week, the UN's humanitarian chief Jan Egeland warned that "a man-made catastrophe of an unprecedented scale" loomed within weeks in Darfur unless the UN Security Council acted immediately. |
| But our Africa editor says sending a UN force to the region without Khartoum's consent would be a virtually impossible task - and there now remain few options left. | But our Africa editor says sending a UN force to the region without Khartoum's consent would be a virtually impossible task - and there now remain few options left. |