African troops pledged for Darfur

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The United Nations has released details of the countries that have pledged troops or police for a peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

The proposed force, backed by the UN and the African Union, will comprise up to 26,000 members, most of them drawn from eight African nations.

Some Asian nations have also promised forces. No Europeans or Americans are participating at this stage.

A UN official said the force needed more specialised military equipment.

In terms of an agreement between the UN and the Sudanese government, the proposed force must be predominantly African.

"We are meeting the objective of a predominantly African force," the UN Assistant Secretary General in peacekeeping, Jane Holl Lute, told Reuters news agency.

She said the operation needed attack helicopters, engineers, and people who could supply and drive cargo across Sudan, from Port Sudan to Darfur.

The African countries that have confirmed their participation are Egypt, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ghana.

Among Asian countries, Pakistan, Nepal and Indonesia have offered police, while Bangladesh has agreed to send troops and police.

Malaysia, Thailand and Jordan have offered troops. The UN says this list is neither final nor binding.