UK urges support for African Union in Darfur

Britain urged stronger world support, including greater EU funding, for the African Union mission in Darfur.

Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry told reporters that a planned Security Council meeting on Sudan next week would be an opportunity to explore how to drastically improve security arrangements and the strategic outlook in Darfur this year.

"We really have now to prepare to make sure there's a total continuity of involvement by the international community," the British envoy said.

He said the council, which is scheduled to discuss Sudan on January 13, would need to explore options including turning over the peacekeeping operation in Darfur, currently operated by the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), to the UN. Full story (UN) via Sudan Tribune Jan 5, 2006.