UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN ON WEDNESDAY CALLED FOR 20,000 UN TROOPS AND POLICE TO BE SENT TO THE CONFLICT- TORN DARFUR REGION, WHICH WOULD CREATE THE UN'S LARGEST PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO DPA. IN A REPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, ANNAN PROPOSED MORE THAN DOUBLING THE CURRENT AFRICAN UNION (AU) FORCE MONITORING THE REGION TO BETWEEN 15,300 AND 17,300 TROOPS, AND UP TO 5,300 POLICE. THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR REJECTED ANY UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE BEING SENT TO THE COUNTRY BUT, SHOULD THE SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE PLAN, IT WOULD MAKE DARFUR THE UN'S LARGEST PEACEKEEPING MISSION AHEAD OF THE 17,500-STRONG CONTINGENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. KHARTOUM SIGNED A PEACE DEAL WITH DARFUR'S MAIN REBEL GROUP IN MAY, BUT OTHERS HAVE REFUSED TO JOIN THE ACCORD. ANNAN'S REPORT SAID INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS WERE STILL NECESSARY TO CONVINCE SUDAN'S GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT THE UN FORCE, IN LIEU OF THE AU MISSION, WHICH HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY A LACK OF FUNDING AND RESOURCES. FIGHTING IN THE REGION FLARED UP AGAIN LAST MONTH BETWEEN GOVERNMENT TROOPS AND THE REBEL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY MOVEMENT, WHICH HAS NOT SIGNED THE PEACE ACCORD, WHILE INFIGHTING BETWEEN REBEL GROUPS HAS ALSO PLAGUED WESTERN DARFUR. THE UN'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE, JAN PRONK, WAS SENT ON A TWO-DAY MISSION TO THE REGION TUESDAY TO DISCUSS THE SECURITY AND HUMANITARIAN SITUATION WITH AUTHORITIES. AT LEAST 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 2 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED IN THREE YEARS OF FIGHTING BETWEEN REBEL GROUPS SEEKING AUTONOMY AND THE ALLEGEDLY GOVERNMENT-BACKED JANJAWEED MILITIA.
