SUDAN HAS AGREED TO ALLOW AN AFRICAN UNION-U.N. ASSESSMENT MISSION INTO THE COUNTRY AHEAD OF A POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT OF U.N. TROOPS TO ENFORCE A PEACE DEAL IN WAR-TORN DARFUR, A U.N. DIPLOMAT SAID ON THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH SUDANESE PRESIDENT OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR, THE U.N.'S LAKHDAR BRAHIMI SAID: "WE AGREED THAT IN THE COMING DAYS THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE AFRICAN UNION WILL SEND A JOINT ASSESSMENT MISSION TO SUDAN." THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND THE MAIN DARFUR REBEL FACTION SIGNED THEIR PEACE AGREEMENT ON MAY 5. BRAHIMI SAID THE MISSION, INCLUDING MILITARY EXPERTS, WOULD START WORK IN KHARTOUM AND THEN GO TO DARFUR WHERE HE SAID IT WOULD ASSESS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF THE AU FORCE. IT "WOULD ALSO UNDERTAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A POSSIBLE TRANSITION FROM THE AU TO THE U.N.", HE TOLD REPORTERS IN KHARTOUM. IN NEW YORK, U.N. CHIEF SPOKESMAN STEPHANE DUJARRIC SAID NO DATE HAD YET BEEN SET FOR THE ASSESSMENT MISSION'S DEPARTURE.
