German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday hailed the efforts of African states in the planned peacekeeping force for the western Sudanese province of Darfur, according to dpa. The United Nations was responsible for the mission and was supported significantly by the international community, Steinmeier said. "But, essentially, Africans want to take on this difficult task themselves. That is a positive development," he added, speaking in the Nigerian capital Abuja on a visit to West Africa. After long negotations, the UN Security Council gave its green light for the send-off of the peace keeping forces the previous night. Nigeria had mediated in the Darfur crisis in the past and was sending the largest number of troops to the current African Union (AU) mission, Steinmeier said. Currently, the AU mission includes some 7,000 soldiers - a number considered completely insufficient. The UN and AU are now planning a joint force of up to 26,000 soldiers. According to its mandate, the German military currently has some 75 observers in southern Sudan and can deploy up to 200 soldiers for the logistical support of the AU mission in Darfur if necessary. Darfur is considered the largest humanitarian catastrophe at present. Both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Steinmeier have in the past rejected a participation of German ground forces in a peace- keeping mission in Sudan, referring to the large number of foreign missions currently underway. Abuja was the first stop on Steinmeier's trip to West Africa, which will continue with a visit to Ghana on Thursday and Friday. The minister encouraged the public not to see Africa just as a continent of crises and conflicts. "Africa has become more confident as an international partner and is rightly negotiating on an equal level," he said. Steinmeier said he would make another trip to Africa next spring.
