Military

DATE=10/26/04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=SUDAN/DARFUR (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-319919

BYLINE=CATHY MAJTENYI

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: AU Peacekeeping Flights To Proceed To Darfur

INTRO: The African Union says, after some last-minute diplomatic hitches, Nigerian and Rwandan peacekeepers will begin to be airlifted to Darfur later this week. Cathy Majtenyi reports from VOA's East African Bureau in Nairobi.

TEXT: African Union spokesman Adam Thiam told VOA Tuesday a contingent of AU peacekeepers from Nigeria will be flown into Darfur on Thursday, and a Rwandan contingent will follow two days later. He said some of the troops will be flown into Darfur on U.S. military transport planes offered by the United States.

The participation of U.S. military aircraft in the airlift had been thrown into doubt earlier by published reports that Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail ruled out the use of U.S. planes without specific authorization from the African Union.

Mr. Thiam said the A.U. and Sudan have resolved that issue.

/// THIAM ACT ///

"If we have this plan, it means that there is no problem with the Sudanese government from our side."

/// END ACT ///

The French news agency, Agence France Presse, quoted Mr. Ismail Monday as saying that Sudan would never accept any U.S. planes on Sudanese territory other than under an A.U. agreement that does not violate Sudanese national security.

But the spokesman for Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Ghassar, told VOA this was merely a procedural issue. He said the delay in the airlift, which was to begin Monday, was because the U.S. embassy in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, approached the government directly for flight clearance without going through the African Union first.

Mr. Ghassar said the problem was greatly exaggerated, and was soon cleared up.

/// GHASSAR ACT ///

"The ministry re-directed them (the Americans) to pass it through the African Union. And it was done. There is nothing like refusal or something like that."

/// END ACT ///

The foreign minister had said Monday the Sudanese government would cooperate closely with the African Union to facilitate the arrival of the more than 3000-strong force from seven African countries. (Signed)

NEB/CM/AWP/MAR