Rice: Sudan must stop trying to limit Darfur force

By Arshad Mohammed

Reuters
Sunday, June 24, 2007; 8:30 AM

PARIS (Reuters) - Sudan must stop trying to "scale back" a hybrid international force for Darfur, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said as she flew to Paris for talks on the humanitarian crisis in the western Sudanese region.

The aim of the force is to stop the violence in Darfur, where international experts estimate 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been expelled from their homes in more than four years of strife. Sudan says 9,000 people have died.

Sudan on June 12 agreed to a combined United Nations and African Union peacekeeping force of more than 20,000 troops and police but many diplomats doubt Khartoum will keep its word. more

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