The United Nations is awaiting word from the African Union about replacing AU troops with a U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur region, a U.N. spokesman said Wednesday, according to AP. Last week, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called for a stronger and more sophisticated military force and Jan Pronk, the top U.N. envoy in Sudan, urged creating a force of as many as 20,000 troops to provide security in the vast and arid region. By comparison, the AU maintains a 6,964-strong military and police force. The group has said it accepted Annan's call in principle and that its ministers would make the final decision at the end of March.
