A UN ADVANCE TEAM WAS TO TRAVEL TO SUDAN THIS WEEK TO DISCUSS THE DEPLOYMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN DARFUR AIMED AT MONITORING A PEACE AGREEMENT IN THE REGION, THE UN SAID MONDAY, DPA REPORTED. THE AFRICAN UNION WILL JOIN THE TEAM HEADED BY UN UNDERSECRETARY GENERAL JEAN-MARIE GUEHENNO, WHICH WILL HOLD TALKS WITH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IN KHARTOUM BEFORE PROCEEDING TO DARFUR, SAID UN SPOKESMAN STEPHANE DUJARRIC. THE TEAM WILL CONSIDER SHORT-TERM WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THE CURRENT AU PEACEKEEPING MISSION OF 7,000 TROOPS IN DARFUR, WHICH IS TO BE PHASED OUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND REPLACED BY A UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE. "THE VISIT OF THE JOINT TEAM WILL BE AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE ONGOING COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AND IN THEIR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO BRING PEACE, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY TO SUDAN," DUJARRIC SAID. THE MAY 5 PEACE AGREEMENT ON DARFUR WAS SIGNED BY KHARTOUM AND THE MAIN AFRICAN REBEL GROUP, THE SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY, BUT NOT SOME OF THE SMALLER SPLINTER GROUPS. THE CONFLICT IN DARFUR HAS KILLED MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE SINCE 2003 AND SPAWNED MORE THAN 2 MILLION REFUGEES. -
