Brown pledges Darfur support

Gordon Brown has pledged support for Darfur peacekeeping troops as demonstrations are held to highlight the plight of the war-torn region.

Rights groups have declared Sunday a Global Day for Darfur with events planned in 30 nations around the world.

In London, demonstrators will march from the Sudanese Embassy near St James's Park to Downing Street to highlight the deaths of over 200,000 people during four years of violence.

Around 2 million people are believed to have been displaced since Janjaweed militias - allegedly backed by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum - started reprisals against ethnic African rebels in Darfur.

During his first visit to the US as Prime Minister in July, Mr Brown secured the UN's approval for a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force.

The Prime Minister has signalled the UK will provide "technical" assistance for the force and also support for the African nations that contribute manpower.

From October, the hybrid African Union-United Nations mission, consisting of about 20,000 troops and another 6,000 police, is expected to start arriving in the western region of Sudan.

Mr Brown said: "I can give the assurance that we are going to keep up our efforts as a British government, working with other governments, to make sure that this combination of opportunities...does make the difference that's necessary.

"I think it is one of the great tragedies of our time that so many people have died, so many people have been displaced and so many people face famine as a result of the events of Darfur."

He added: "It's likely (Britain) will provide technical assistance.

"But it's also likely, because this is an African Union force that is also being put in place, that we will give support to those African countries that are actually contributing to the force."

The PM also reiterated previous demands for a ceasefire in Darfur, saying that it would be "disastrous" if the fighting did not stop and threatening tougher sanctions against the Khartoum regime.

But he also held out the incentive of economic support for the Darfur region if a ceasefire was observed.

Mr Brown appealed to the international community to ensure that the force is on the ground in Darfur as soon as possible.

He said: "I want to see the hybrid force in place before the end of the year," he said. "I want to see it there, if at all possible, earlier than that."

Hopes of a ceasefire were boosted on Saturday when the Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, said Khartoum was ready to call a ceasefire when peace talks get under way in the Libyan capital Tripoli on October 27.

"We hope that the negotiations in Tripoli will be the last ones and that they will bring definitive peace," Mr al-Bashir said.

But, Khamis Abdallah, head of the rebel United Front for Liberation and Development, said: "When (Mr al-Bashir) talks about a ceasefire, he's not credible.

"We are seeing an escalation of military operations, which means he's saying this for political reasons."

The UN is set to meet next Friday to further discuss the Darfur crisis.

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