US PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH ON MONDAY URGED NATO ALLIES TO HELP WITH PEACEKEEPING IN DARFUR AND PRESSED THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOW A UN FORCE TO DEPLOY IN THE REGION, DPA REPORTED. ABOUT 14,000 SOLDIERS WOULD SERVE IN THE FORCE. IN HIS FIRST PUBLIC STATEMENT SINCE A PEACE DEAL ON DARFUR WAS SEALED IN ABUJA, NIGERIA, ON FRIDAY, BUSH ALSO APPEALED TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, CANADA, BRITAIN AND JAPAN TO OFFER MORE HUMANITARIAN AID. HE SAID HE TELEPHONED SUDANESE PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR TO PRAISE HIM FOR SIGNING A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH THE MAIN REBEL GROUP IN DARFUR, AND URGED HIM TO "EXPRESS CLEAR SUPPORT FOR A UN FORCE." "THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE OF DARFUR DESERVE MORE THAN SYMPATHY," BUSH SAID AT THE WHITE HOUSE. "THEY DESERVE THE ACTIVE PROTECTION THAT UN PEACEKEEPERS CAN PROVIDE." THE UNITED NATIONS HAS APPROVED A UN FORCE, AND THE UNITED STATES HAS PRESSED NATO TO PROVIDE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT. THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS RESISTED A UN DEPLOYMENT, BUT THE US WAS OPTIMISTIC SUDAN WOULD COME AROUND AFTER THE PEACE DEAL AND BUSH'S TALK WITH AL-BASHIR. "WE'RE JUST ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE SUDANESE ON THIS," CINDY COURVILLE, WHO HANDLES AFRICAN AFFAIRS ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, SAID IN A CONFERENCE CALL WITH REPORTERS. BUSH SAID ACHIEVING A PEACE AGREEMENT WAS JUST THE FIRST STEP TOWARD NORMALIZING DARFUR. "WE'RE STILL FAR AWAY FROM OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, WHICH IS THE RETURN OF MILLIONS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE TO THEIR HOMES SO THEY CAN HAVE A LIFE WITHOUT FEAR," HE SAID. "BUT WE CAN NOW SEE A WAY FORWARD." BUSH CALLED ON OTHER COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO INCREASE FOOD AID TO DARFUR, AND SAID HE WAS REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL 225 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE US CONGRESS FOR EMERGENCY AID TO THE REGION. THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN LEADING THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO HALT THE VIOLENCE, WHICH BUSH HAS LABELLED GENOCIDE. -
